c: 


COLONEL  WINFIELD  T.   DURBIN. 


HISTORY 


OF  THE 


One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first 

J 


REGIMENT 


INDIANA  VOLUNTEER  INFANTRY 


By 
W.  E.  BIEDERWOLF* 

CHAPLAIN  OF  THE  REGIMENT 


1889: 

WILSON.    IH'MI'IIHEVS    \    CO. 
I.OGAXSl'OKT,    INI). 


Entered  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1899.  in  the  office  of 

the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  0., 

by  W.   E.  Biederwolf. 


To  the 
wko  JUiariugcI  tlig  iS 

eSl  "^p 

this  "illark 

is  ^inrcrcb  geriimtrri 
bv  their  friend, 

The  Olhnplciin. 


PRBFACK. 


A  preface  is  not  an  apology;  a  book  that  needs  an 
apology  ought  never  be  written.  Every  man  of  a  regi- 
ment is  a  part  of  its  life,  and  to  be  a  soldier  is  an  expsri- 
ence  that  comes  to  most  men  but  once  and  makes  an 
important  chapter  in  the  history  of  every  man  thus  priv- 
ileged. Who,  that  was  there,  can  ever  forget  the  life  we 
led  together;  our  camps,  our  marches,  our  reviews,  the  life 
of  a  day  and  the  evening  till  taps!  These  will  be  remem- 
bered without  a  written  history,  but  there  are  offices  which 
only  a  written  record  can  fulfill;  that  of  acquainting  the 
regiment's  friends  with  the  history  so  familiar  to  its  mem- 
bers and  of  furnishing  exact  historical  and  numerical  data, 
the  value  of  which  increases  with  time,  and  the  perusal  of 
which,  when  memory  is  less  distinct,  will  make  it  all  hap- 
pen again  as  it  did  in  '98  and  '99.  The  preparation  of  such 
a  work  is  no  easy  task,  and  all  the  more  difficult  when  the 
author  has  kept  no  diary  or  chronicle  of  events.  The 
information  herein  contained  has  been  gathered  from  every 
available  source,  but  every  detail  fully  verified  before  giv- 
ing it  place  in  these  pages.  For  the  hearty  co-operation  of 
his  fellow  officers  the  fullest  appreciation  is  here  expressed 
by  him  who  has  undertaken  this  work.  Some  have  ren- 
dered a  material  aid  without  which  the  present  value  of  the 
book  would  have  been  impossible.  Special  acknowledg- 
ment is  due  to  Lieutenant  Goodrich  for  his  share  in  the 
preparation  of  the  Savannah  chapter,  and  to  Dr.  George 
B.  Jones  for  like  service  in  the  section  devoted  to  the  med- 
ical department.  Special  thanks  are  also  due  to  Captain 


IO  PREFACE. 

W.  T.  Stott  and  to  Lieutenants  Patton,  Welch  and  Owens, 
and  also  to  Private  E.  M.  Blake  of  Company  K. 

In  producing  the  company  roster  such  as  adhered  to 
the  form  given  them  will  show  first  the  original  roster 
in  so  far  as  promotions  would  allow,  it  being  equally  desir- 
able to  present  in  due  form  the  roll  of  officers  as  they 
appeared  at  the  date  of  mustering  out.  Where  cuts  are 
missing,  it  is  simply  because  parties  failed  to  furnish  them 
after  repeated  solicitation,  or  because  they  were  not  to  be 
had,  which  was  the  case  with  several  among  the  dead. 
A  few  photos  were  poor,  but  the  best  possible  was  done 
with  them.  With  the  hope  that  this  volume  will  bring 
pleasant  reminders  to  all  it  is  sent  to  press. 

W.   E.   BIEDERWOLF, 

Chaplain  i6ist  I.  V.  I. 
Monticello,  Indiana,  June  I,  1899. 


Chapter  I — Organization 17 

Chapter  II — Camp  Mount 23 

Chapter  III — En  Route  to  Jacksonville 48 

Chapter  IV— Camp  Cuba  Libre,  August  14,  '98-September  30,  '98. ..     60 

Chapter  V— Camp  Cuba  Libre,  October  1-23,  '98 78 

Chapter  VI — Camp  Onward 91 

Chapter  VII — Havana  to  Camp  Columbia 115 

Chapter  VIII— Camp  Columbia,  December  17,  '98-January  31,  '99.. .   125 

Chapter  IX— Camp  Columbia,  February  1,  '99-March  31,  '99 151 

Chapter  X — The  Departure,  Voyage  and  Arrival 182 

Chapter  XI — Mustering  Out  Month,  Camp  Homeward 193 

First  Battalion— K,  M,  A,  E 231 

Second  Battalion— B,  I,  F,  D 287 

Third  Battalion— C,  G,  H,  L 345 

Medical  Department 405 

History  of  the  Medical  Department 410 

Regimental  Band 425 

Roster  of  Regimental  Band 428 

Organization  of  Regimental  Band 429 

Bugle  and  Drum  Corps 431 

Roster  of  Bugle  and  Drum  Corps 431 

Roll  of  Honor 435 

History  of J  Company  A 263 

Roster  of  Company  A 267 

History  of  Company  B 294 

Roster  of  Company  B 298 

History  of  Company  C 353 

Roster  of  Company  C 360 

History  of  Company  D 333 

Roster  of  Company  D   339 

H  istory  of  Company  E 275 

Roster  of  Company  E 281 

History  of  Company  F 320 

Roster  of  Company  F  324 

H  istory  of  Company  G 369 

Roster  of  Company  G 375 

History  of  Company  H 383 

Roster  of  Company  H 385 


12  INDEX. 

History  of  Company  1 806 

Roster  of  Company  1 311 

History  of  Company  K 2:>',» 

Roster  of  Company  K 241 

History  of  Company  L 396 

Roster  of  Company  L 398 

History  of  Company  M 250 

Roster  of  Company  M  255 


PORTRAITS  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Anderson,  James  L 393 

Anheire,  Anthony  A 304 

Backus,  Victor  M 232 

Biederwolf,  William  E 225 

Brown,  Denver 444 

Brunt,  John  R 2±> 

Buchanan,  Richard  W 331 

Caldwell,  George  H 383 

Crooker,  William  W 273 

Comstock,  Paul 317 

Cosby,  Charles  E. 335 

Dexter,  Jacob  W 447 

Dority,  Charles  E 395 

Drapier,  William  H 319- 

Durbin,  Winfield  T 216 

Durbin,  Fletcher  M   262 

Durbin,  W.  T.,  and  Staff 21 

Espey,  James  E 417 

Everson,  Charles 447 

Fitch,  George  W 249- 

Fortune,  James  W 272 

Gerrish,  Millard  F 408 

Goodrich,  George  E 350 

Gould,  Andrew 450 

Graham,  Alonzo  M • 449 

Guthrie,  William 303 

Gwinn,  James  M 380 

Hudgins,  Thomas  J 349- 

Jackson,  Cyrus  A 332 

Johnson,  August  H.  W 261 


INDEX.  13 

Kepperling,  George 44:5 

Kimmel,  Elmer  E 318 

Kuns,  Clarence  D 441 

Lewis,  John  J 440 

Megrew,  Harold  C 288 

Menzies,  Winston 290 

.Meyers,  James  1 368 

Mount,  James  A 44 

McCauley,  Edward  A 274 

Ogborn,  Albert  D 366 

Olds,  Lee  M ,    346 

Owens,  Temple  H 238 

Parkhurst,  Layton  M 333 

Patton,  Henry  B 381 

Peterson,  Eli  W 394 

Pittman,  Charles  M 369 

Puhlman,  Ernest  R 439 

Reynolds,  Ivy  L 352 

Saltzgaber,  Baird  G 19 

Silverthorne,  George  M 260 

Smith,  Charles  C 237 

Smith,  Will  M 322 

Smith,  Wickliff   406 

Starr,  \V.  Thompson 19 

Stille,  Henry 443 

Stivers,  Wallace  D 442 

Stott,  Wilfred  T 236 

Tichenor,  Oliver  M 220 

Trimble,  Charles 448 

Turner,  Joseph  F 446 

Ward,  John  R 305 

\\  caver,  William  G 44") 

Welch,  Percy 293 

West,  George  A 248 

Williams,  Asa  E 292 

Williams,  Ernest  S 426 

Wilson,  James 410 

Company  A 264 

Non-Commissioned  Officers 266 

Company  B 295 

Non-Commissioned  Officers 'JUT 

Company  C 355 

Non-Commissioned  Officers. ..  .  357 


14  INDEX. 

Company  D 334 

Sergeants 336 

Corporals 338 

Company  E. .  . . .    276 

Sergeants 278 

Corporals 280 

Company  F 321 

Sergeants 323 

Corporals 325 

Company  G 370 

Sergeants 372 

Corporals 374 

Company  H 384 

Sergeants 386 

Corporals 388 

Company  1 307 

Non-Commissioned  Officers 309 

Company  K 239 

Sergeants 242 

Corporals 244 

Company  L 397 

Sergeants 399 

Corporals 401 

Company  M 251 

Non-Commissioned  Officers 253 

A  Cuban  Camp 122 

A  Mixed  Race 146 

Backus  Garbage  Burner 73 

Barb  W  ire  Defense 123 

Barn — Camp  Cuba  Libre 65 

Bastile — Camp  Cuba  Libre 229 

Block  House 124 

Bonaventure 104 

Bugle  and  Drum  Corps 432 

Camp  Airing 172 

Camp  Columbia 139 

Company  G  Street  by  Moonlight 175 

Company  Street  in  Camp  Cuba  Libre 61 

Commissary — Camp  Cuba  Libre 62 

Cuban  Plowman .   147 


INDEX.  I  i> 

Fatigue  Duty— Camp  Mount 24 

Fumigated  Gloves 191 

Going  Aboard  Transport  "  Mobile  " 108 

Going  on  Board  the  "  Logan  " 185 

Government  Warehouse  at  Quemados 169 

Graves 437 

Guard  Mount — Camp  Columbia 39 

Hangman's  Tree 178 

Headquarters— Camp  Onward 92 

H  uman  Bone  Yard 160 

Kangaroo  Court 198 

Live  Curios 184 

"  Logan  " 186 

Medical  Officers  and  Helpers 420 

Midway 170 

"  Mobile  "—Off  for  Cuba 109 

Monument 143 

Morro  Castle Ill 

Next 176 

Off  for  the  Mail   171 

Packing  Up— Camp  Onward 106 

Passing  in  Review — New  Year's  Day 135 

Post  Exchange  at  Camp  Onward 83- 

Prisoners  Cleaning  Camp 138 

Regimental  Band 427 

Regimental  Hospital  at  Camp  Columbia 141 

Relieving  the  Guard — Camp  Mount 27 

Ruined  Estate 148 

San  Jose  Espigon  (Wharf)  183 

Sea-Sickness  on  the  "  Logan  " 187 

Second  Battalion,  Skirmish  Drill— Camp  Cuba  Libre 85 

Sentinel  on  Duty— Camp  Cuba  Libre 71 

Soupee!  Soupee!  Soup!  Soup! 136 

Storm  Scene  at  Third  Division  Hospital 79 

The  Maine  Graves .  158 

The  Way  Mother  Used  to  Do 137 

Yento  Springs 167 

Wagon  Train  on  its  Way  to  Camp 113 

Waiting  for  the  Train— Camp-Breaking  at  Camp  Cuba  Libre 89 

Wreck  of  the  "  Maine  "...                                                                           .  156 


CHAPTER  I. 


ORGANIZATION. 

The  war  with  Spain  was  on  in  earnest;  Manilla  had 
fallen,  several  Spanish  prizes  had  been  taken  at  sea,  and 
every  preparation  was  being  made  for  pushing  a  vigor- 
ous campaign  into  Cuba.  Already  two  hundred  thousand 
troops  were  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  when 
President  McKinley,  on  the  25th  day  of  May,  1898,  issued  a 
second  call  for  seventy-five  thousand  more  volunteers.  Indi- 
ana could  have  furnished  them  all,  but  after  her  other  regi- 
ments, with  companies  averaging  eighty-six  men  each,  had 
been  recruited  to  their  full  quota  of  one  hundred  and  six 
men  it  was  her  further  privilege  to  furnish  one  full  regi- 
ment and  an  additional  two  companies  of  colored  men. 
There  was  at  once  the  greatest  competition  and  the  great- 
est diligence  on  the  part  of  influential  friends  to  secure 
one  of  the  twelve  coveted  places  in  the  new  regiment  which, 
in  order,  was  to  be  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indi- 
ana Volunteer  Infantry.  Letters  poured  in  upon  the  gov- 
ernor from  every  corner  of  the  state  telling  of  companies 
formed  and  ready  to  move  at  notice,  but  desiring  to  give 
the  congressional  districts  a  somewhat  equal  representation 
in  this  matter  the  twelve  companies  now  composing  the 
regiment  were  selected.  Of  this  selection  the  companies 
w«re  notified  by  the  governor  on  the  24th  day  of  June. 
The  original  intention  of  bringing  them  to  the  capital,  a 
company  at  a  time,  for  examination  was  abandoned  as  the 
urgency  of  the  hour  demanded  that  all  should  corneas  soon 


1 8  HISTORY    OF    THE 

as  possible.  Accordingly  all  companies  were  ordered  to 
repair  at  once  to  the  state  fair-grounds  at  Indianapolis. 
The  first  company,  "H,"  reported  at  12:40  June  30.  The 
others  in  quick  order,  Company  "  I"  entering  the  grounds 
last  at  4:30,  July  5th. 

The  man  whom  Governor  Mount  had  chosen  to  be  colo- 
nel was  Winfield  T.  Durbin,  of  Anderson.  He  was  sitting 
in  the  factory  of  the  Diamond  Paper  Company,  of  which  he 
was  at  that  time  general  manager,  when  he  was  'phoned 
from  Indianapolis  by  Colonel  Charles  E.  Wilson,  military 
secretary  to  Governor  Mount,  asking  him  to  come  at  once 
to  the  capital.  Upon  his  arrival  he  was  informed  by  Sec- 
retary Wilson  of  the  governor's  desire.  It  was  his  first 
intimation  of  such  a  decision  and  the  following  day  (Sunday) 
he  called  at  the  governor's  home  and  there  gave  his  prom- 
ise to  lead  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  to  its 
destiny  in  the  conflict  then  on. 

Doctor  Wickliff  Smith,  of  Delphi,  was  called  to  the 
position  of  surgeon,  and  Drs.  Milliard  F.  Gerrish,  of  Sey- 
mour, and  James  Wilson,  of  Wabash,  were  chosen  assistant 
surgeons.  The  surgeons  were  examined  by  the  State 
Board  of  Medical  Examinations,  Friday,  24th,  and  were  the 
first  of  the  officers  to  be  mustered  into  the  service  (June 
25th)  as  it  was  essential  to  begin  at  once  the  physical  ex- 
amination of  the  men.  Every  man  had  been  required  to 
pass  one,  and  the  majority  two,  similar  examinations  at  the 
place  of  his  enlistment,  but  the  final  and  more  severe  test 
of  acceptance  was  to  be  made  by  the  regimental  surgeons 
themselves.  The  examinations  began  Tuesday,  July  5th, 
and  lasted  eleven  days,  the  highest  number  of  men  exam- 
ined in  any  one  day  being  two  hundred  and  eighty-six. 
This  examination  resulted  in  a  further  rejection  of  fourteen 
per  cent,  of  the  men,  and  gave  to  the  state  as  sound  and 
as  healthy  a  body  of  soldiers  as  ever  volunteered  their  serv- 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  IQ 

ice.  The  following  statistics,  taken  toward  the  close  of 
their  period  of  service  and  read  in  their  presence  by  the 
colonel  at  regimental  review,  will  be  of  interest  and  may  be 
appropriately  inserted  here  as  the  regimental  makeup  was 
in  general  the  same  throughout  its  period  of  service. 

The  average  age  was  twenty-six.  The  average  height 
was  five  feet  eight  inches.  The  average  weight  was  one 
hundred  and  forty-nine  pounds.  Two  hundred  and  ninety- 
six  were  farmers,  one  hundred  and  eighteen  were  clerks, 
three  hundred  and  sixty-two  were  common  laborers,  four 
hundred  and  thirteen  were  skilled  laborers,  forty-seven 
were  professional  men,  twenty-five  were  merchants; 
twelve  hundred  and  sixty-five  were  American  born,  fifty- 
four  foreign;  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  were  married 
and  eleven  hundred  and  ninety-one  were  single. 

On  June  28th  Baird  G.  Saltzgaber,  of  Lebanon,  Indi- 
ana, a  recent  graduate  of  Wabash  College  and  former 


W.  THOMPSON  STARR.       BAIRD  G.   SALTZGABER. 

graduate  of  Kenyon  Military  Academy,  was  mustered  as 
quartermaster  sergeant,  and  on  July  5th  W.  Thompson 
Starr,  of  Richmond,  Indiana,  class  of  '98,  Michigan  Mili- 


2O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

tary  Academy,  Orchard  Lake,  Michigan,  was  mustered  as 
regimental  sergeant  major. 

On  July  iith,  at  4:30  P.  M.  ,  four  companies,  A,  B,  C, 

D,  each  member  of  whom  had  signed  the  muster-in  roll, 
were  mustered.      On  the  same  date  Harold   C.  Megrew,  of 
Indianapolis,  was  mustered  as  major  and  Oliver  M.  Tich- 
enor,  of  Princeton,  as  first  lieutenant  and  regimental  adju- 
tant.     The  following  day,  July  I2th,  four  other  companies, 

E,  F,  G,  H,  were  mustered  and  the  remaining  companies, 
I,  K,  L,  M,  on  the  succeeding  day,  July  I3th. 

There  was  some  unavoidable  delay  in  the  appointment 
of  Matt  R.  Peterson  as  major.  The  position  had  been 
tendered  Lieutenant  Bundy,  of  the  Third  Infantry,  who  was 
at  that  time  with  his  regiment  at  Santiago,  Cuba.  Being 
impossible  to  await  his  reply,  owing  to  the  destruction  of 
the  cables,  it  became  necessary  to  make  another  appoint- 
ment, which  was  given  to  First  Lieutenant  M.  R.  Peterson,  of 
the  Sixth  United  States  Infantry,  who  was  at  that  time  on 
duty  in  the  quartermaster  department  at  Indianapolis. 
Lieutenant  Waterman,  of  the  Eighth  United  States  Cav- 
alry, who  was  the  United  States  mustering  officer,  refused 
to  muster  the  regiment  as  a  whole  until  such  appointment 
was  made.  Accordingly,  on  July  I5th,  in  the  evening 
about  6:30  o'clock,  the  whole  regiment  was  massed  to  the 
east  of  the  Administration  Hall  and  in  the  presence  of 
numerous  friends  and  visitors  who  were  there  to  witness 
the  ceremony,  Colonel  Durbin  and  such  of  his  staff  as  had 
not  yet  taken  the  oath  were  mustered  into  the  service  of 
the  United  States.  Besides  the  colonel  there  was  Victor 
M.  Backus,  of  Indianapolis,  who  was  mustered  as  lieuten- 
ant-colonel, and  William  E.  Biederwolf,  of  Logansport, 
who  was  mustered  as  chaplain.  This  completed  the  roll 
of  staff  officers  with  the  exception  of  John  R.  Brunt,  of 
Anderson,  who  had  been  mustered  as  first  lieutenant  and 


22  HISTORY    OF'  THE 

quartermaster  on  June  3Oth,  in  order  that  he  might  begin 
officially  the  administration  of  his  required  and  urgent 
duties. 

It  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  have  here  said  by  one 
who  came  in  closest  daily  contact  with  the  men  and  who 
learned  to  know  their  individual  history  and  character, 
that  the  quality  of  the  regiment  was  exceptionally  fine. 
The  men  occupying  the  most  responsible  positions  were 
men  of  experience  and  of  the  best  caliber,  and  the  official 
body  as  a  whole  may  be  safely  characterized  as  one  of 
exceptional  character  and  capacity.  Among  the  enlisted 
men  were  hundreds  belonging  to  Indiana's  best  families; 
young  men  of  learning,  of  profession,  of  wealth  and  of 
social  standing,  and  while  in  any  and  every  such  body  of 
twelve  hundred  men  there  is  much  and  much-to-be-regret- 
ted immoral  conduct,  yet  the  record  of  the  One  Hundred 
and  Sixty-first  Indiana  during  the  time  of  it-;  service  shows 
it  to  be  a  regiment  of  unusual  high  moral  character  for  a 
military  organization. 


CHAPTER  II. 


CAMP    MOUNT. 

June  30,  '98 — August  IE,  '98. 

The  State  Fair  ground  was  admirably  adapted  as  a 
place  for  holding  the  regiment  during  the  completion  of  its 
organization  and  preparation  to  report  for  duty  wherever 
sent.  Headquarters  and  the  dispensary  were  established  in 
the  administration  hall  and  here  for  many  days  was  a  rush 
of  business  of  a  character  such  as  the  place  had  never  seen 
before.  The  fine  art  building  was  used  as  the  commissary 
and  quartermaster  department  and  one  of  the  pavilions 
near  by  as  a  shelter  for  the  guard. 

To  each  company  as  it  reported  was  assigned  one  of 
the  large  stock  buildings.  The  two  colored  companies,  A 
and  B,  commanded  by  Captains  Jacob  M.  Porter  and  John 
J.  Buckner,  who,  by  the  way,  were  the  first  colored  captains 
ever  commissioned,  were  sheltered  in  the  barns  nearest  the 
main  entrance  to  the  grounds. 

The  companies  were,  for  convenience  at  the  first,  lettered 
according  to  the  order  of  their  arrival;  they  were  met  at  the 
entrance  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus,  who  escorted  them 
to  their  quarters,  and  at  once,  or  as  soon  as  possible  there- 
after, they  were  in  line  at  the  quartermaster's  department 
for  some  of  the  articles  such  as  would  be  immediately 
necessary  for  the  new  mode  of  life  into  which  they  were 
then  to  be  initiated. 

They  were  given  axes  and  spades  and  picks  and  rakes 
and  wondered  what  it  meant;  then  to  each  company  were 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


also  issued  one  hundred  and  six  blankets,  meat-cans,  knives, 
forks,  spoons,  tin-cups,  two    Meyers    cooking   ranges    with 


FATIGUE  DUTY. 

utensils  complete,  one  cord  of  wood,  and  one  day's  rations. 
Some  of  the  companies  had  a  little  of  camp  experience  at 
home,  sleeping  in  barns  taking  a  few  meals  picnic  style, 
and  more  from  the  well  loaded  tables  of  their  towns 
people,  but  when  they  opened  those  marvelous  double- 
sided,  self-sealing  meat-cans  to  receive  their  first  army 
cooked  food  and  looked  into  the  depths  of  those  del- 
icate quart  coffee  cups,  washed  their  own  tin-dishes, 
made  up  their  own  beds  of  boards  and  straw,  then  they 
knew  they  were  soldiers;  and  so  for  twenty-six  days  they 
lived  together,  twelve  large  families  in  twelve  large  barns. 
Here  were  formed  the  first  impressions  of  something,  but 
only  something,  of  what  army  life  really  was.  Here  the 
rich  and  poor,  the  college  graduate,  the  mechanic,  the 
laborer  and  the  fellow  who  was  "  doin'  nothin  "  touched 
elbows  at  night  and  here  were  formed  many  of  those 
friendships  such  as  hallow  the  memory  of  every  war.  The 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  2  5 

work  of  the  hour  was  the  examination  of  the  men.  Each 
company  was  sent  to  the  creek  for  a  bath  and  then  in 
squads  of  twenty  reported  up  stairs  in  the  administration 
building  for  the  ordeal.  Every  one  knew  pretty  well  his 
chances  from  the  previous  like  experience,  and  many  a  one 
stood  before  the  scrutiny  of  the  merciless  surgeons  and  for- 
got their  nakedness  for  the  fear  and  trembling  that  was  in 
them.  And  the  ordeal  was  severe.  The  surgeons  looked 
right  into  them.  A  man  must  be  all  there:  of  course  there 
are  always  exceptions;  the  fellow  with  one  toe  did  get  in; 
they  said  "you  can't  run,  suppose  we  have  to  retreat  what 
will  become  of  you"?  "Run,  "  he  said,  "you  ought  to  see 
me;  me  and  some  more  stirred  a  hornet's  nest  yesterday, 
and  I  beat  the  hull  of  them  out  of  the  woods."  And  the 

fellow  who  could'nt  read  got  in:  he  said  " , "  and  he 

forgot  himself  when  he  said  it  for  he  said  it  in  an  awful 
way,  "I  did'nt  come  here  to  teach  school,  I  came  here  to 
fight. "  However  the  fellow  in  the  regiment  with  a  glass 
eye — but  we  promised  not  to  mention  it  for  you  know 
science  is  very  perfect  these  days,  and  a  fellow  can  see 
through  a  glass  eye  about  as  well  as  he  can  through  a 
good  one.  Most  companies  came  with  more  than  the  re- 
quired number  of  men,  and  after  one  out  of  seven  had  been 
rejected  the  average  strength  of  the  companies  was  ninety- 
six.  New  recruits  came  in  from  time  to  time  and  the 
companies  left  Camp  Mount  with  an  average  strength  of 
one  hundred  and  four. 

As  fast  as  the  men  were  examined  attention  was  turned 
to  the  preparation  of  the  rolls  for  "muster  in;"  a  hercu- 
lean task,  to  do  it  correctly  and  neatly,  as  the  best  and 
most  careful  penman  from  each  company  will  most  cer- 
tainly testify. 

While  such  steps  were  being  taken  preparatory  to  the 
complete  regimental  organization,  the  men  were  not  idle; 


26  HISTORY    OF    THE 

they  spent  one-half  hour  each  morning  and  evening  doing 
the  setting-up  exercise  and  marched  out  of  their  barns 
every  day  at  7:30  A.  M.  ,  11  A.  M.  and  4  p.  M.,  and  spent 
one  hour  in  the  evolutions  of  squad  and  company  drill. 
The  colonel,  however,  at  once  ordered  all  drills  to  be  con- 
fined exclusively  to  squad  drill;  in  those  early  executions 
one  would  hardly  have  recognized  the  crack  steppers  of  the 
Seventh  Army  Corps.  To  their  last  day  the  boys  will  hear 
the  "left,  right;  one,  two;  hepp,  hepp;  unc,  anc,"  and  al- 
though the  drill  leaders  had  not  as  yet  learned  to  spell 
"  March"  with  an  initial  "  h,"  nor  to  put  the  Spanish  on  the 
last  syllable  of  "Attention,"  they  did  their  best  in  pure 
English  and  the  men  did  their  best  and  it  was  this  doing 
their  best  and  the  excellent  Esprit  de  corps  of  the  entire 
body  that  brought  them  to  the  enviable  position  they  later 
enjoyed  in  the  Seventh  Army  Corps. 

They  were  only  "  boys  in  blue  "  in  name  for  the  uni- 
forms were  not  yet  issued  and  the  single  outfit  they  brought 
along  soon  had  the  appearance  of  a  "  Weary  Willie  "  cos- 
tume, and  on  July  10  many  of  the  boys  had  a  most  excel- 
lent excuse  for  not  coming  to  church  to  hear  the  Chaplain 
preach  his  first  sermon  in  the  great  grandstand  by  the  race 
track.  But  this  could  scarcely  be  called  their  hardest  trial; 
it  was  rather  when  she  came  down  on  the  Sunday  excur- 
sions to  see  him  once  more  before  he  left.  He  hoped  she 
would  excuse  his  appearance  and  tried  to  explain  to  her 
something  about  the  "channels"  through  which  the  new 
suits  had  to  come.  He  never  turned  his  back  upon  her 
then  and  when  he  said  good-bye  he  backed  away;  anyhow 
those  were  happy  Sundays  with  their  home  friends  and 
their  heavy  baskets;  the  soldiers  remember  them;  the  sur- 
geons remember  the  Monday  mornings  sick  call. 

On  the  ist  day  of  July,  when  five  companies  only  had 
arrived,  the  first  guard  was  posted  by  Lieutenant  Crocker. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  2/ 

There  were  five  posts  and  three  reliefs,  and  the  men  were 
armed  with  hickory  clubs.  Later  the  guard  was  increased 
and  were  armed  with  the  old-time  guns  of  the  National 
Guard  brought  from  the  state  house,  and  each  company, 


RELIEVING  THE  GUARD. 

commencing  with  Company  B,  took  its  turn  in  doing  guard 
duty,  the  chief  service  of  which  was  to  keep  at  bay  the 
venders  of  sweetmeats  and  pies,  the  arrest  of  whisky 
smugglers  and  guard-line  runners. 

It's  an  old  saying  that  whisky  is  easy  to  get.  Well, 
it  was.  It  was  captured,  quart  after  quart,  and  turned 
over  to  the  surgeons  for  use  in  the  medical  department. 
One  scoundrel  was  brought  in — yes,  he  did  have  a  bottle 
for  a  friend  who  ordered  it.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus 
found  it  difficult  to  locate  that  particular  bottle,  for,  in 
searching  the  fellow,  he  found  eight  others — nine  bottles  on 
one  man.  The  Colonel  was  indignant;  he  would  show  the 
fellow  some  military  discipline;  forthwith  he  and  his  three 
pals  were  lodged  in  the  guard-house  for  the  night,  where 
they  stayed — until  they  took  a  notion  to  climb  out. 


28  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Of  course  the  guards  had  to  be  tested;  they  must 
learn  never  to  surrender  their  gun,  not  even  to  the  colonel; 
but  it  was  just  as  one  poor  crestfallen  darkey  guard,  who 
had  surrendered  his  gun,  said  to  the  officer  of  the  guard: 
"He  done  won  my  confidence,  sah,"  and  it  was  a  rather 
underhanded  and  merciless  way  to  do;  but  it  isn't  generally 
known  that  the  colonel  was  held  up  one  night  till  the  next 
relief  came  on;  the  calls  did  not  work  that  night;  neither 
corporal,  sergeant  nor  officer  of  the  guard  came,  and  the 
colonel — well,  he  waited.  The  men  were  there  for  a  pur- 
pose and  they  knew  it,  although  there  were  some  things 
they  all  as  yet  could  not  be  expected  to  know,  for  instance: 
Stranger  approaching — 4<  Are  you  a  sentinel,  sir?  " 
Company  A  man  on  guard — "No,  I  am  a  Swede." 
Such  was  life  amid  the  busy  scenes  of  those  first  days 
of  Camp  Mount  until  the  regiment  was  ready  for  muster, 

July  15- 

The  following  day,  July  16,  Colonel  Durbin  issued  the 
first  general  order  of  the  regiment,  a  copy  of  which  is  here 
inserted.  An  important  document  to  the  compliance  with 
the  admirable  tone  of  which  is  greatly  due  the  standard 
afterward  attained  by  the  regiment  under  his  command, 
and  which  contains  regimental  data  of  special  interest  for 
officers  and  men. 

HEADQUARTERS  i6isT  REG.  IND.  VOL.  INF. 
CAMP  MOUNT,  INDIANAPOLIS, 

July  1 6,  1898. 

GENERAL  ORDER  No.  i. 

Congratulating  the  officers  and  men  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Sixty-first  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry 
upon  having  passed  and  received  the  approval  of  the 
Examining  Board  and  mustering  officer,  and  imposing  the 
fullest  confidence  in  the  officers  and  men,  the  following  is 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  29 

published  for  the  information  and  guidance  of  all  concerned: 

Obedience  and  proper  respect  to  the  superior  officers 
are  the  first  requirements  of  a  soldier.  An  officer  in  any 
grade  in  command  should  and  must  receive  the  same 
obedience  and  respect  as  though  he  be  of  the  highest  grade. 
Fidelity  to  duty,  with  zeal  and  energy,  is  none  the  less  a 
requisite. 

In  the  present  war,  to  create  armies  and  make  soldiers 
of  men  in  the  shortest  time  is  the  aim  of  those  in  control. 
Therefore,  in  order  that  the  highest  state  of  efficiency  may 
be  attained,  it  will  be  expected  of  you  that  you  should  at 
once  and  at  all  times  call  forth  your  best  energies,  and  let 
it  be  the  effort  of  each  and  every  one,  of  whatever  station, 
to  have  it  said  of  him,  "duty  well  done." 

All  authority  should  be  exercised  with  firmness,  de- 
corum and,  above  all,  impartiality,  and  authority  should  be 
respected  by  implicit  obedience  and  loyal  support  from 
subordinates.  Let  it  be  the  aim  of  each  and  every  one  to 
labor  earnestly  to  perfect  himself  in  military  drill,  in- 
structions and  discipline. 

It  will  be  necessary,  and  one  of  the  first  cares,  to  pre- 
serve health,  and  as  your  commanding  officer  I  enjoin  upon 
officers  and  men  to  look  well  to  preserving  your  present 
physical  condition,  which  is  evidenced  to  be  good  by 
reason  of  your  acceptance  by  the  surgeons  and  mustering 
officer.  Going  into  a  hot  climate,  as  we  doubtless  will,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  the  preservation  of  health  to  abstain 
from  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks. 

Let  your  aim  be  at  all  times  to  be  prepared  for  duty 
by  presenting  yourself  in  your  best  physical  condition,  with- 
out impairment  of  body  or  intellect  produced  by  any  article 
that  will  weaken  or  impair.  Let  your  stimulants  be  a 
pride  in  the  perfectness  of  your  bodies,  and  a  zeal  and 


3O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

energy  to  become  the  best  regiment  not  only  from  our  own 
state,  but  any  other  state. 

It  is  expected  of  you,  and  is  due  the  government  which 
you  serve,  that  we  will  do  nothing  that  will  interfere  with 
all  the  requirements  demanded  of  us. 

2.      The  letter  designations  of  companies  is  as  follows: 

Captain  Lee  M.  Olds,  Company  A. 
Captain  Winston  Menzies,  Company  B. 
Captain  Thomas  J.  Hudgins,  Company  C. 
Captain  Charles  E.  Crosby,  Company  D. 
Captain  Louis  C.  Baird,  Company  E. 
Captain  William  M.  Smith,  Company  F. 
Captain  Albert  D.  Ogborn,  Company  G. 
Captain  James  M.  Gwinn,  Company  H. 
Captain  William  Guthrie,  Company  I. 
Captain  Wilford  T.  Stott,  Company  K. 
Captain  James  L.  Anderson,  Company  L. 
Captain  George  A.  West,  Company  M. 

The  relative  rank  of  all  commissioned  officers  of  the 
same  grade  corresponds  to  the  designation  by  letter  of  their 
companies,  those  of  Company  A  being  senior,  and  through 
regular  gradation  by  letter  to  Company  M,  its  officers  being 
junior.  For  instance,  the  captain,  first  and  second  lieu- 
tenants of  Company  A  will  be  the  seniors  in  rank  in  their 
grade  in  the  regiment,  and  those  of  Company  M  the  juniors. 

Precedence  of  non-commissioned  officers  of  the  same 
grade  and  the  same  relative  positions  in  a  grade  will,  like- 
wise, be  determined. 

For  instance,  the  first,  second,  third,  etc.,  sergeants 
of  Company  A  will  be  senior  in  rank  to  the  first,  second, 
third,  etc.,  of  other  companies,  but  the  third  sergeant  of 
Company  A  will  not  be  senior  in  rank  to  the  second  ser- 
geant of  any  other  company. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  3! 

3.  The  following  assignment  of  companies  to  battal- 
ions is  hereby  announced: 

First  Battalion,  Companies  A,  E,  K,  M. 
Second  Battalion,  Companies  B,  D,  F,  I. 
Third  Battalion,  Companies  C,  G,  H,  L. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Victor  M.  Backus,  Major  Harold 
C.  Megrew  and  Major  Matt.  R.  Peterson,  One  Hundred 
and  Sixty-first  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  are  assigned  to 
the  command  of  the  First,  Second  and  Third  Battalions  re- 
spectively. They  will  be  obeyed  and  respected  accordingly. 

Battalion  commanders  are  authorized  to  appoint  their 
commissioned  and  non-commissioned  staff  officers,  with  the 
approval  of  the  regimental  commander. 

4.  On  and  after  the  I7th  inst. ,  officers'  school  will  be 
established   and  held   daily,    Saturdays   and    Sundays    ex- 
cepted,  from  3:15  P.  M.  to  4:15  P.  M.    Officers'  call  will  be 
sounded  at  3:05  p.  M.,  at  which  time  all  officers  not  excused 
by  regimental  commander  will  repair  to  regimental  head- 
quarters. 

5.  On  and  after  the  i/th  inst.  non-commissioned  of- 
ficers' school  will  be  held  daily  from  8:45   A-  M-  to  9:45   A. 
M.,  at  such  places  as  company  commanders  may  designate. 
The  instruction  of  each  company  will  be  under  the  super- 
vision of  company  commanders,  and   all   company  officers 
and   non-commissioned  officers   not   excused  by   the   regi- 
mental commander  will  be  required  to  attend.      School  call 
will  be  sounded  at  8:35  A.  M. 

6.  All  drills,  until  further  orders,  will  be  squad  drills. 
Battalion  commanders  will  see  that  this  order  is  strictly  en- 
forced. 

7.  The  verbal  appointment  of  John  R.    Brunt,  first 
lieutenant  and  quartermaster  One  Hundred   and  Sixty-first 


32  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  to  be  acting  ordnance  officer 
of  the  regiment  is  hereby  made  of  record. 

By  order  of  Colonel  Durbin. 

OLIVER  M.  TICHENOR, 
ist  Lieut,  and  Adjutant  i6ist  Ind.  Vol.  Inf. 

It  will  be  noticed  by  the  order  of  companies  herein 
mentioned  that  the  company  from  Hammond,  commanded 
by  Lee  M.  Olds,  was  made  the  ranking  company  of  the 
regiment.  No  body  of  men  worked  harder  than  did  the 
boys  and  officers  of  Company  A.  They  were  at  it  early 
and  Jate  and  attained  very  speedily  to  the  degree  of  excel- 
lency that  characterized  their  work.  Other  companies  as 
well  were  doing  most  excellent  work,  but  the  Mount  Ver- 
non  company  was  perhaps  the  one  that  made  the  Ham- 
mond boys  work  hardest  for  their  distinction,  and  the 
earnest  and  pleasant  rivalry  resulted  in  a  hard  choice  be- 
tween them.  The  four  company  commanders  first  mus- 
tered were  called  into  the  presence  of  Colonel  Durbin  and 
the  battalion  commanders.  They  were  given  the  prefer- 
ence of  choosing  the  ranking  company  themselves  or  leav- 
ing the  decision  to  the  committee  before  them.  They  pre- 
fered  to  abide  by  the  decision  of  the  latter,  and  the  choice 
was  accordingly  made.  At  a  meeting  of  all  officers  the 
following  evening  a  like  method  was  determined  upon  for 
fixing  the  rank  of  companies  mustered  on  the  I2th  and  I3th. 

The  first  meeting  of  officers  was  held  July  I3th  in  the 
dispensary  room  of  the  headquarters  building  where  Major 
Megrew,  Captains  Smith  and  Guthrie  were  appointed  a 
committee  to  suggest  some  out-fitter's  establishment  for 
uniforms,  etc.  There  was  only  one  man  in  those  days 
and  his  name  was  Pettibone.  Accordingly  Mr.  Pettibone's 
agent  was  busy  for  weeks  fitting  (?)  the  officers  out. 
Patience  is  a  most  excellent  virture  and  the  officers  now 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  33 

had  the  most  excellent  opportunity  for  its  display.  They 
waited  many  weary  weeks  after  those  gilded  coats  and 
striped  pants  were  due,  and  when  they  came, — to  see  those 
fits!  The  officers  had  to  do  something  and  not  being  pro- 
fane men,  they  had  to  laugh;  they  had  a  perfect  fit  of  this. 
To  see  John  R.  Brunt  poke  his  long  arms  through  a  Kaki 
that  would  quicker  fit  a  Lilliputian — short  sleeves  perhaps 
intended  for  evening  dress; — to  see  Victor  M.  Backus 
color  up  with  blood  as  he  tugged  to  squeeze  himself  on  the 
inside  of  his — to  see  W.  T.  Durbin  lose  himself  in  his — and 
every  one  else  look  ridiculous — to  see  this  would  have  made 
Pettibone  himself  laugh.  In  fact  those  were  marvelous 
suits,  self-fitting,  warranted  to  fit  anybody  and  lest  any  one 
who  is  in  the  distance  heard  the  hilarious  proceedings  that 
lasted  so  long  into  the  night  of  July  25th  should  form  an 
unfavorable  impression  of  our  sobriety  let  it  here  be  chron- 
icled that  the  officers  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  were  simply  trying  on  the  Pet- 
tibone suits. 

At  a  similiar  meeting  of  officers  the  next  day  the  colo- 
nel announced  the  first  officers'  school,  which  met  on  Mon- 
day, 1 8th,  in  the  upstairs  of  the  headquarters  building.  A 
few  remarks  were  made  by  Colonel  Durbin  in  which  he 
designated  Major  Peterson  as  instructor.  A  typical  school 
in  which  "Tactics  "  were  explained,  for  which  a  man  was 
supposed  to  study  his  lessons,  at  which  the  roll  was  called 
and  which  no  officer  could  absent  himself  without  a  legiti- 
mate excuse.  The  officers  always  knew  how  to  execute 
the  movement  in  question  with  their  men  but  could  not  tell 
in  school  just  what  command  they  would  use  to  do  it  with. 
This  was  the  one  peculiar  and  mysterious  feature. 

On  Tuesday,  July  iQth,  the  first  issue  of  clothing  was 
made  by  the  quartermaster  and  as  fast  as  possible  there- 
after the  men  were  supplied  from  United  States  clothing 


34  HISTORV    OF    THE 

department.  One  can  easily  imagine  the  change  that  such 
change  of  garments  made.  The  boys  did  really  look  taller, 
but  it  is  doubtful  if  they  looked  as  much  taller  as  it  seemed 
to  them  they  were.  On  Wednesday,  2Oth,  the  first  bat- 
talion formation  was  made  by  Major  Megrew,  commanding 
the  Second  Battalion. 

In  the  evening  of  the  2ist  the  friends  of  Lieutenat- 
Colonel  Backus  presented  him  with  a  sword.  Concerning 
that  occasion  the  following  is  from  the  Indianapolis  Senti- 
nel, of  the  22nd  of  July: 

The  porch  of  the  headquarters  at  Camp  Mount  was 
the  scene  of  a  very  pleasant  gathering  last  evening  on  the 
occasion  of  the  presentation  of  a  sword  to  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Backus  by  a  number  of  his  friends  in  this  city.  It 
was  filled  with  the  officers  of  the  regiment,  and  a  number 
of  ladies  and  gentlemen  and  a  crowd  of  soldiers  of  the  camp 
were  gathered  before  it. 

Mr.  Ben  Webb  and  Mr.  E.  M.  Johnson  were  the  chief 
managers  of  the  ceremony.  The  presentation  speech  was 
made  by  Mr.  J.  P.  Dunn,  who  spoke  as  follows: 

"  LIEUTENANT-COLONEL  BACKUS — We  are  come  to 
tender  to  you  a  token  of  esteem  for  the  past  and  a  confidence 
for  the  future.  A  third  of  a  century  has  passed  away  since 
the  gloomy  cloud  of  civil  war  lifted  from  our  country,  but 
time  has  not  dimmed  the  memory  of  the  glorious  deeds 
that  were  done  in  that  gigantic  struggle.  With  us  of  Indi- 
ana and  Illinois  there  is  no  part  in  the  achievements  of  that 
war  that  is  looked  upon  with  higher  pride  than  that  borne 
by  Wilder's  brigade.  The  rest  of  the  country  does  not 
know  as  we  know  the  story  of  that  flying  swarm  of  the  pio- 
neers of  battle.  We  have  listened  with  eager  earnestness 
to  the  account  of  its  brilliant  victory  at  Hoover's  gap. 
We  have  heard  with  breathless  interest  the  story  of  its 
daring  destruction  of  the  supply  depot  at  Decker,  and  its 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  35 

escape  over  the  hills  from  the  overwhelming  Confederate 
force  that  came  just  too  late  for  its  protection.  We  have 
thrilled  with  excitement  over  the  description  of  the  un- 
looked-for attack  on  Chattanooga  when  Lilly's  guns  wak- 
ened the  enemy  from  a  sense  of  security.  We  have  heard 
with  quickened  pulse  the  account  of  its  stubborn  righting  at 
Chickamauga,  at  Selma  and  at  Macon.  It  is  a  wonderful 
story  of  wild  raids  and  desperate  chances  taken — of  riding 
by  night  and  fighting  by  day — for  there  was  little  rest  where 
John  T.  Wilder  commanded.  And  we  may  well  wish  it 
were  all  recorded  in  permanent  form  that  those  who  come 
after  us  may  know  it  as  we  know  it.  Those  who  can  re- 
count it  are  swiftly  passing  from  our  sight.  It  is  but  a  few 
weeks  since  they  laid  to  rest  that  true  and  tried  soldier, 
John  Fleming.  But  a  little  later  this  whole  community 
bowed  in  sorrow  at  the  announcement  of  the  death  of  that 
peerless  man — that  knight  errant  in  war  and  peace — 
Colonel  Eli  Lilly.  Only  this  week  you  buried  gallant  Bill 
Bray — as  brave  a  man  as  ever  carried  a  musket  in  our 
army.  And  I  can  but  think  that  there  must  have  been 
great  satisfaction  to  that  grizzled  veteran  in  his  last  days, 
when  he  heard  how  you,  his  youthful  protege,  the  youngest 
soldier  of  the  brigade,  had  given  to  Indiana  the  un- 
precedented honor  of  tendering  the  services  of  a  full  regi- 
ment of  volunteers  before  the  president's  call  was  received. 
"  But  while  we  treasure  these  memories  of  the  past, 
we  rejoice  that  we  have  reached  new  times  and  new  condi- 
tions. We  glory  in  the  knowledge  of  an  united  country, 
and  we  know  that  the  blood  now  shed  in  battle  against  a 
foreign  foe  shall  cement  the  hearts  of  all  sections  so  that 
we  shall  be  disunited  no  more  forever.  Surely  our  sol- 
diers shall  march  with  quickened  step  and  lighter  heart  be- 
cause America  is  all  on  one  side  and  under  one  flag.  We 
are  one  nation  and  one  people. 


36  HISTORY    OF    THE 

"Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus,  I  address  you  in  behalf 
of  your  fellow-citizens,  your  neighbors,  your  friends.  We 
offer  you  this  sword  with  unbounded  confidence  that  it  will 
never  know  dishonor.  We  know  that  if  its  blade  shall  be 
reddened  it  will  be  with  the  blood  of  the  enemies  of  your 
country,  shed  in  fair  and  honorable  combat.  We  know 
that  when  it  flashes  in  the  charge  it  will  be  before  the  eyes 
of  your  men.  We  wish  that  when  you  grasp  its  hilt  it 
shall  bear  the  message  to  you  that  our  hopes,  our  kindliest 
wishes  and  our  prayers  are  with  you  and  all  your  comrades 
who  go  to  uphold  the  nation's  honor.  Some  of  you  may 
not  return.  The  enemy's  arms  or  dread  disease  may  leave 
you  lifeless  in  the  foreign  lands.  Some  of  you  may  return 
broken  with  sickness  or  with  wounds.  We  hope  for  the 
best.  We  trust  that  God  may  deal  kindly  with  you.  We 
wish  this  sword  to  be  with  you  in  remembrance  that  what- 
ever may  befall  you,  and  all  of  you,  shall  be  held  by  us  in 
honor,  in  esteem  and  in  affection,  while  we  shall  live." 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus  received  the  sword  with 
evident  emotion  and  briefly  returned  thanks  to  the  donors. 
He  said  that  he  was  certain  that  the  regiment  was  the  best 
one  that  had  been  sent  out  to  the  war.  It  had  the  best 
colonel,  the  best  majors,  the  best  captains  and  the  best 
men.  He  was  certain  that  good  reports  would  come  from 
it  when  it  got  to  the  front.  When  he  returned  .from  the 
the  Civil,  war  thirty-three  years  ago,  he  carried  a  Spencer 
rifle  and  he  only  hoped  that  this  sword  would  come  back 
with  as  good  a  record  as  that  rifle.  He  would  promise  one 
thing,  and  that  was  that  it  should  not  come  back  dishon- 
ored in  any  event. 

On  Saturday,  July  23d,  occurred  the  first  wedding. 
The  Second  Batallion,  of  which  the  bridegroom  was  a  mem- 
ber, formed  in  hollow  square  in  an  open  space  of  the  grove. 
Two  other  companies  were  also  present,  and  here  in  the 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  3/ 

presence  of  comrades  and  friends,  on  nature's  soft  carpet, 
and  under  her  beautiful  skies,  after  Colonel  Backus  had 
said  "I  give  this  woman  to  be  the  soldier's  bride,"  the 
regimental  chaplain  performed  the  ceremony  that  made 
Sergeant  Robert  L.  Cromer,  of  Company  I,  and  Miss  Pink 
Allen,  of  Logansport,  man  and  wife,  and  the  soldiers  gave 
three  rousing  cheers  for  the  happy  couple.  On  Sunday, 
July  24,  the  first  regimental  parade  took  place.  Visitors 
were  in  abundance  that  day  and  from  the  grand  stand  and 
from  the  windows  and  balcony  of  the  Administration  build- 
ing they  watched  eleven  hundred  boys  form  in  one  long 
line  of  companies  that  stretched  through  the  oval  race 
track  from  end  to  end;  it  was  a  big  crowd  of  soldiers  and 
and  as  Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus  looked  upon  it,  it 
seemed  to  grow  bigger  with  every  second;  finally  he 
shouted:  "Right  forward!  fours  right!"  and  after  a 
remarkable  maneuver  got  them  to  pass  in  review  before 
Colonel  Durbin.  It  was  on  this  day  that  the  adjutant's 
remarkable  riding  furnished  material  for  such  favorable 
newspaper  comment. 

In  the  meantime  international  concerns  were  progress- 
ing exceeding  slow,  and  while  the  men  were  speculating  as  to 
the  when  and  where  of  our  departure,  public  opinion  was 
forming  itself  into  the  impression  that  we  were  on  our  first 
and  only  camping  ground.  As  soon,  however,  as  tentage 
was  received  the  regiment  was  to  change  quarters,  to  leave 
the  old  barns  and  pitch  a  more  model  camp  in  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  grounds.  This  savored  of  a  longer  stay  but 
was  simply  the  purpose  to  improve  the  time  and  camp 
and  give  the  men  a  little  more  military  experience,  even 
though  the  tents  should  stand  only  for  a  day,  but  who  knew? 
Accordingly  the  camp  was  laid  out,  thirteen  wells  were 
driven,  tents  were  issued,  and  on  July  29  and  30  the  boys 
took  up  their  beds  and  walked  to  the  little  village  of  tents 


38  HISTORY    OF    THE 

and  in  the  evening  at  taps  laid  themselves  down  by  fives  in 
the  little  white  houses. 

The  ground  was  the  same  as  that  occupied  by  the  other 
Indiana  regiments,  but  so  orderly  and  in  such  system  was 
this  camp  laid  out  that  favorable  comparisons  and  com- 
ments were  heard  by  all  who  visited  the  regiment  while 
there.  It  was  the  idea  which  later  perfected  made  the 
One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  camp  a  "  revelation." 

On  July  3ist  (Sunday)  occurred  the  first  muster  for 
pay.  "Of  all  the  signing  of  roJls  that  was  the  best  one 
yet,"  said  one  man  as  he  finished.  On  the  2d  day  of 
August  the  45-caliber,  1884  pattern,  Springfield  rifles  with 
bayonets  were  issued.  They  made  the  men  appear  very 
formidable,  and  they  began  at  once  the  practice  of  the 
manual  of  arms;  and  for  several  days  the  boys  drilled  and 
speculated  on  the  future,  and  posed  for  Treadwell-Shane, 
who  hung  the  "  Father  of  his  Country  "  out  to  smile  upon 
the  boys,  while  he  made  mounted  heroes  out  of  them  on  a 
card  14x20,  all  for  the  small  sum  of  $1.50  each. 

Saturday,  August  6,  at  5:30,  the  first  guard  was 
mounted,  in  a  military  fashion,  Major  Peterson  acting  as 
regimental  adjutant;  Captain  Olds  was  officer  of  the  day, 
and  Lieutenant  Reynolds  was  officer  of  the  guard.  The 
band  was  in  formation,  but  instrumentless,  and  two  of 
them  accompanied  the  ceremony  with  bugles.  This  has 
always  been  an  attractive  feature;  it  was  interesting  that 
evening  because  it  was  new,  but  later,  when  executed  with 
such  spirited  precision,  the  inspiring  music,  the  inspection 
of  guns,  the  entire  ceremony,  from  the  marching  up  of 
each  detail  to  the  passing  in  review  before  its  officers,  the 
act,  although  somewhat  dramatic,  was  attractive  and  inter- 
esting, and  impressed  thoughtful  minds  with  a  world  of 
meaning.  In  that  ceremony  one  could  see  the  whole  his- 
tory of  a  war;  so  much  have  sentinels  to  do  with  battles. 


4O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Boys,  do  you  remember  the  brave  deed  of  August  5  ? 
History  would  be  incomplete  without  it.  It  was  2:30 
p.  M.  when  you  formed  yourselves  and  with  determination 
deeply  stamped  upon  your  brows  you  advanced  on  head- 
quarters. Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus  was  not  the  man  you 
was  looking  for,  and  when  he  asked  your  purpose  you 
demanded  that  he  bring  the  colonel  out,  and  the  colonel  came 
out  of  his  tent;  you  remember  when  came  and  looked 
right  at  you — you  know  how  the  colonel  could  look — and 
when  he  said:  "  What  does  this  mean  ?  "  your  leader  swal- 
lowed the  lump  that  rose  like  lightning  in  his  throat  and 
managed  to  say:  "We  want  more  privileges?"  and  the 
colonel  said:  "Every  man  of  you  to  your  tents,  at  once  !  " 
In  a  minute  not  a  man  was  in  sight.  You  always  were 
obedient. 

On  August  7  (Sunday)  the  regiment  was  called  out  for 
parade;  Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus  passed  the  regiment  in 
review  and  rode  to  his  place  by  the  side  of  Colonel  Dur- 
bin.  The  colonel  asked  him  to  form  the  regiment  in  line 
of  masses,  as  he  had  something  to  say  to  them.  After 
'Complimenting  them  on  their  appearance  as  a  regiment  he 
told  them  of  the  following  order  he  that  day  received. 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  August  7,  1898. 

Col.  Winficld  T.  Durbin,  commanding  One  Hundred  and 
Sixty-first  United  States  Volunteer  Infantry,  Camp 
Mount,  Indianapolis,  Indiana  : 

By  direction  of  the  secretary  of  war,  you  will  proceed 
as  soon  as  practicable  with  your  regiment  to  Jacksonville, 
Florida,  and  report  to  the  commanding  general  there. 
Upon  receipt  of  this  order  you  will  at  once  communicate 
with  the  chief  quartermaster,  Chicago,  for  the  necessary 
transportation,  and  with  the  chief  commissary,  Chicago,  for 
ten-days'  field  rations,  the  necessary  travel  rations  and  cof- 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  4! 

fee  money.  The  quartermaster  general  and  commissary 
general  have  instructed  the  chief  quartermaster  and  chief 
commissary  as  above  to  provide  the  transportation  rations, 
and  coffee  money.  Telegraph  day  of  departure  to  command- 
ing general  of  Seventh  Corps,  also  to  this  office,  specifying 
amount  of  tentage,  kind  and  calibre  of  arms  and  ammuni- 
tion taken  with  you.  Acknowledge  receipt. 
By  order  of  the  secretary  of  war. 

H.  C.  CORBIN, 
12:38  P.  M.  Adjutant  General. 

No  one  present  will  forget  the  demonstration  which 
followed  the  reading  of  this  order.  It  meant  that  the  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  was  not  to  go  home,  but 
was  to  share  in  whatever  there  was  yet  to  do  to  accomplish 
the  end  for  which  war  was  declared.  And  didn't  the  boys 
shout,  and  didn't  they  yell,  and  didn't  every  hat  go  up  in 
the  air,  and  didn't  the  officers  do  their  share  of  noise- 
making,  and  how  the  people  in  the  grand  stand  did  wonder 
what  the  Colonel  had  said  that  threw  the  boys  into  such  a 
commotion,  and  then  when  they  were  given  "fall  out" 
after  reaching  the  company  streets,  how  each  company 
vied  with  every  other  in  seeing  which  could  make  the  most 
noise.  After  supper  breaking  the  news  to  mother  and 
other  friends  was  the  order  until  taps,  and  immediately  next 
morning  all  loose  articles  were  carefully  packed  away  and 
preparations  made  for  an  immediate  departure.  Tents 
were  searched  and  all  side  arms  demanded.  The  boys  had 
enlisted  to  fight  and  couldn't  understand  this  seeming  hard- 
ship, but  experience  calls  it  a  wise  precaution. 

Tuesday,  the  9th,  the  paymaster  squared  every  man 
with  the  Government,  and  on  Wednesday  we  would  have 
been  marching  to  the  cars  had  transportation  been  furnished 
as  per  expectation,  but  all  was  in  readiness  the  following 


42  HISTORY    OF    THE 

day,  and  I  P.  M.  ,  August  11,  found  the  One  Hundred  and 
Sixty-first  Indiana  marching  toward  the  North  street  depot, 
from  which  point,  by  contract,  the  Big  Four  was  to  carry 
us  all  to  Jacksonville.  Concerning  this  day's  events  the 
following  is  taken,  in  part,  from  the  Indianapolis  Journal  of 
the  I2th  instant: 

"The  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Regiment  has  gone 
to  Jacksonville,  leaving  Camp  Mount  deserted  except  for 
the  two  colored  companies.  There  were  no  drills  in  camp  in 
the  morning,  but  every  soldier  was  intense  with  excitement 
in  anticipation  of  the  move  to  the  south,  even  though  none 
of  the  troops  may  ever  see  the  smoke  of  battle.  The  offi- 
cers were  instructed  to  have  a  man  at  each  corner  of  every 
tent  at  nine  o'clock  promptly,  and  at  bugle  call  to  draw  the 
ropes  and  pack  tents  and  equipment  at  once.  As  soon  as 
the  bugle  blew  the  blast  every  tent  fell  over  to  the  north 
just  as  if  a  cyclone  had  struck  camp  and  swept  the  field 
clean.  In  twenty  minutes  the  tents  were  down,  packed 
and  loaded  into  wagons  to  be  hauled  to  the  cars  near  by. 

"An  early  noon  mess  was  ordered,  and  at  one  o'clock 
the  ride  to  Sixteenth  street  began.  The  colored  compa- 
nies, which  acted  as  escort  to  the  regiment,  came  first  and 
were  followed  by  the  First  Battalion.  These  were  followed 
by  the  Second  and  Third  Battalions.  The  soldiers  left  the 
cars  at  Sixteenth  street  and  marched  across  to  Meridian, 
where  they  halted,  waiting  for  Colonel  Durbin  and  staff, 
who  came  up  a  few  minutes  before  three.  Governor 
Mount,  his  secretary  and  the  When  Band  were  in  waiting. 
At  three  o'clock  the  order  to  '  fall  in  '  was  given  and  the 
line  of  march  began,  the  colored  men  in  front,  then  Gov- 
ernor Mount,  Colonel  Durbin  and  staff.  The  First,  Sec- 
ond and  Third  Battalions  followed  in  the  order  given. 
Company  F  carried  the  flag  in  the  middle  of  the  regiment. 
The  length  of  the  line  was  six  blocks,  four  abreast.  Hun- 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  43 

dreds  of  people  lined  the  way  along  the  line  of  march, 
shouting  'good-bye'  to  the  soldiers.  When  the  flag  was 
carried  along  the  crowd  went  wild  with  applause  and  hats 
were  lifted  until  it  had  passed. 

In  front  of  the  state  house  the  troops  were  drawn  up 
and  passed  in  review  before  the  governor." 

We  have  always  thought  of  the  governor  as  our  friend, 
and  every  officer  and  private  felt  something  of  the  debt  to 
him  for  its  magnificent  beginning  under  his  care  and  super- 
vision. Every  regiment  claimed  and  received  his  interest 
and  his  attention,  and  he  dealt  fairly  and  impartially  with 
them  all,  out  of  concern  for  the  credit  they  were  to  reflect 
upon  the  State  that  sent  them  forth,  but  the  One  Hundred 
and  Sixty-first,  being  the  only  volunteer  regiment,  he  nec- 
essarily came  into  closer  touch  with  its  organization.  His 
notable  wisdom  in  the  selection  of  officers  and  the  justice 
characterizing  his  every  dealing  with  the  regiment,  won 
the  admiration  of  every  soldier.  Its  welfare  received  his 
attention  in  every  possible  way  and  the  good  reputation  it 
afterward  sustained  was  to  him  a  source  of  deep  pleasure. 
It  is  a  pleasure  to  here  insert  the  governor's  speech  which 
was  made  to  the  regiment  drawn  up  before  him  and  which 
so  many  of  the  men  far  down  the  narrow  street  could  not 
hear. 

THE  GOVERNOR'S  SPEECH. 

"Soldiers  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana 
Volunteers — You  are  to-day  bidding  good-bye  to  friends, 
to  home  and  to  your  native  state.  In  behalf  of  this  com- 
monwealth I  desire  to  bid  you  good-bye  and  godspeed  on 
your  journey.  In  common  with  thousands  of  brave  men, 
you  tendered  your  service  upon  the  first  call  of  the  President 
of  the  United  States  for  volunteers.  You  pleaded  ear- 
nestly and  with  importunity  that  your  service  might  be 
accepted.  You  reflect  but  the  patriotism  of  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  other  brave  men  in  Indiana  who  tendered  their 


GOVERNOR   JAMES  A.  MOUNT. 


ONE    HrXDKKI)    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    IXDIAXA.  •   4$ 

services  and  who  have  importuned  earnestly  that  their  serv- 
ice might  be  accepted.  (Applause.)  It  has  been  your 
patriotism  and  the  patriotism  of  the  brave  men  of  Indiana 
that  enabled  the  state  to  take  her  proud  position  at  the 
front  of  the  states  in  furnishing  her  quota  of  soldiers. 
(Applause.)  It  was  this  patriotism  that  enabled  Indiana  to 
report  her  quota  ready  first  of  all  the  states.  It  was 
this  patriotism  that  enabled  Indiana  to  have  her  soldiers 
first  mustered  into  the  service.  It  will  not,  soldiers, 
militate  against  your  patriotism  or  your  honor  that 
you  may  not  engage  in  battle.  You  have  made  per- 
sonal sacrifice — no  one  knows  but  a  soldier  and  a  soldier's 
family  the  personal  sacrifice  he  makes  when  he  enlists  in 
his  country's  service.  He  goes  forth  to  meet  the  dangers 
of  battle  and  the  disease  of  the  camp.  He  goes  forth 
perhaps  not  to  return  to  those  who  are  dear  to  him.  He 
enlists  and  is  ready  for  whatever  service  the  government 
may  accept  of  him.  He  sacrifices  his  home,  he  leaves 
loved  ones,  and  only  a  mother  can  tell  what  sacrifices  she 
makes  when  she  bids  farewell  to  her  darling  boy,  and  only 
that  boy  knows  the  sacrifice  of  leaving  home  when  he  bids 
farewell  to  his  mother  and  his  friends.  Some  of  you  have 
bade  good-bye  to  a  loving  wife,  some  of  you  to  a  mother 
and  a  father,  some  to  brothers  and  sisters,  but  you  are  all 
bidding  good-bye  to  friends  who  are  as  dear  to  you  as  your 
own  life.  Not  only  this  sacrifice,  but  many  of  you  are 
sacrificing  your  business.  You  have  allowed  nothing  to 
come  between  you  and  your  country.  I  may  truthfully  say 
of  Indiana  that  the  five  regiments  that  have  gone  forth  from 
this  state,  and  are  now  going,  and  the  two  independent 
companies,  and  the  two  batteries,  are  as  grand  men  as  ever 
enlisted  in  any  cause.  (Applause.)  And  they  are  all  of 
them  as  brave  men  as  ever  entered  an  army  for  the  defense 
of  the  country.  (Renewed  applause.)  And  if  opportunity 
offers  Indiana  soldiers  will  reflect  credit  upon  the  govern- 
ment and  upon  this  great  commonwealth.  (Applause.) 

"  It  looks  at  this  time  as  though  the  war  might  be 
near  its  termination,  and  in  the  dawn  of  peace  we  all 
rejoice.  These  brave  men  have  been  willing  to  give  their 
lives,  but  God  spare  their  lives  and  permit  them  to  return,. 


46  HISTORY    OF    THE 

all  of  them,  to  this  state.  (Great  applause.)  But,  sol- 
diers of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first,  I  am  not  a 
prophet,  but  I  predict  that  you  will  tread  on  Cuban  soil 
before  you  are  welcomed  back  to  the  state  of  Indiana. 
(Tremendous  applause.)  I  believe  that  the  gallant  Fitz- 
hugh  Lee,  if  he  does  not  go  to  Cuba  as  conqueror,  will  go 
there  with  an  army  of  occupation  (applause),  and  I  believe 
this  regiment,  with  General  Lee,  will  be  on  Cuban  soil 
next  winter.  And,  comrade  soldiers,  there  will  be  battles 
for  you  to  fight,  though  they  may  not  be  against  the  enemy. 
The  insidious  temptations  that  follow  camp  life  require 
courage  to  meet  and  maintain  your  honor  and  your  dignity. 
I  would  counsel  you,  meet  these  temptations  of  camp  life 
like  heroes.  There  is  no  schooling,  in  my  judgment,  that 
is  grander  than  the  schooling  a  soldier  receives  in  camp  and 
in  battle.  The  mask  will  be  thrown  aside.  You  will  see 
men  in  their  true  character.  In  the  army  some  men  will 
do  that  which  they  would  scorn  to  do  in  society.  But  the 
true  soldier  will  maintain  his  dignity,  his  gentlemanly 
demeanor,  in  camp  and  in  battle,  as  well  as  in  society. 
(Applause.)  And  those  soldiers  that  meet  the  dangers  and 
temptations  of  camp  and  return  with  their  characters 
unsullied,  dignified,  temperate,  gentlemanly  at  the  close  of 
war  will  be  men  who  have  learned  lessons  that  will  be  of 
incalculable  benefit  to  them  through  life.  So  my  parting 
words  would  be  to  these  brave  men,  be  diligent,  be  active, 
be  brave,  be  temperate,  be  contented,  maintain  a  cheerful 
disposition.  We  are  told  that  a  cheerful  spirit  doeth  good 
as  a  medicine.  The  soldier  that  becomes  disheartened 
and  discouraged  in  camp  is  in  danger  of  inviting  disease 
and  of  meeting  death.  So,  soldiers  of  the  One  Hundred 
and  Sixty-first,  acquit  yourselves  like  men,  so  that  when 
you  return  to  your  friends  and  to  your  state  you  will  return 
bringing  back  that  nobility  of  character  and  manhood  as  well 
as  a  brave  record  as  a  soldier.  I  have  no  fear  the  good  name 
of  Indiana  will  be  vindicated  in  the  camp  or  in  the  furnace 
of  battle.  (Applause.)  Go  forth,  brave  men  of  Indiana, 
and  may  God's  blessing  and  God's  protecting  power  go 
with  you,  and  in  his  good  providence  may  you  be  per- 
mitted to  return  and  receive  that  welcome  that  patriotic 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  47 

soldiers  deserve  from  their  friends  and  from  their  native 
state."     (Tremendous  applause.) 

Colonel  Durbin  made  a  few  happy  remarks  and  then, 
dismounting  from  his  horse,  shook  hands  with  the  gov- 
ernor. Colonel  Backus  followed  Colonel  Durban's  exam- 
ple. Cheer  after  cheer  was  given  by  the  soldiers  for  the 
flag  and  officers.  The  march  then  continued  to  the  North 
street  depot,  where  cars  were  in  readiness. 

At  8:30  o'clock  the  first  section,  bearing  the  Third 
Battalion,  left  the  depot;  a  few  minutes  intervened  between 
the  starting  of  the  other  two  sections,  the  first  of  which 
carried  the  First  Battalion  and  the  second  the  Second 
Battalion.  The  arrangements  were  complete  and  were 
carried  out  with  precision  in  every  detail. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry  was  on  its  way  to  join  the  army  of  Fitz  Hugh  Lee. 


CHAPTER   III. 


EN  ROUTE  TO  JACKSONVILLE. 

The  three  trains  left  North  street  station  a  few  mo- 
ments apart  and  passed  in  close  succession  through  the 
Union  depot  at  9:10  p.  M.,  and  a  few  moments  later  the 
lights  of  Indianapolis  were  shining  far  behind  us  as  the  well- 
loaded  coaches  sped  away  to  the  south. 

The  entire  train  save  the  baggage  and  freight  accom- 
modations was  composed  of  sleeping  cars  and  the  troops 
were  transported  with  every  possible  convenience  and 
comfort.  The  brief  run  of  each  section  is  better  described 
by  one  who  was  there. 

THE    FIRST    SECTION. 

While  the  big  guns  were  belching  at  Santiago  the 
One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Regiment,  just  mustered 
into  service,  was  listening  with  bated  breath  and  wondering 
if  ever  it  would  be  theirs  "to  do  or  die."  The  wiseacres 
knowingly  shook  their  heads  and  said  "you  fellows  will 
never  leave  Camp  Mount  until  you  are  mustered  out,"  so  it 
was  a  great  relief  to  all  when  the  orders  came  to  report  at 
Jacksonville.  The  Third  Battalion  was  designated  as  the 
first  section,  carrying  besides  its  four  companies,  Colonel 
Durbin,  with  Major  Smith  and  Adjutant  Tichenor  of  the 
staff  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Crocker,  commissary  officer, 
and  the  usual  amount  ot  impedimenta  including  the  regi- 
mental horses.  It  was  8:50  p.  M.  before  we  were  loaded 
on  Pullmans  at  the  North  street  station  and  started  on  our 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  49 

mission  for  humanity's  sake  over  the  Big  Four  by  way  of 
Louisville,  Kentucky.  Our  first  stop  was  at  Shelbyville  at 
1 1  o'clock,  where  a  large  number  of  people  were  waiting 
with  a  farewell  for  the  boys  of  Company  C;  but  little  time 
was  given  them,  however,  and  we  were  soon  speeding  on  our 
way,  arriving  at  Louisville  about  3  A.  M.,  where  we  were 
transferred  to  the  L.  &  N.  Railroad;  a  few  hours  more 
and  we  were  passing  through  some  battle  fields  of  old 
upon  which  there  is  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  the 
boys  in  blue  who  had  fallen  there  long  before  the  majority 
of  us  were  born. 

At  Bowling  Green  trouble  began  with  a  native  selling 
whisky  to  the  men  and  who  had  no  intention  of  respecting 
the  order  of  Lieutenant  Dority,  who  had  been  appointed 
provost  marshal  for  the  section,  and  when  the  bystanders 
interfered  in  behalf  of  their  fellow  townsman  trouble  of  a 
very  serious  character  began  to  brew,  until  Colonel  Durbin 
and  the  adjutant  came  to  the  marshal's  assistance;  the 
liquor  was  confiscated,  the  soldiers  ordered  to  the  train,, 
and  the  offending  party  allowed  his  freedom  for  lack  of" 
time  to  punish  him.  The  train  went  flying  away,  making 
Nashville  about  noon,  where  coffee  was  served  for  the  first 
time  since  leaving  Camp  Mount.  We  were  soon  on  our 
way  again,  reaching  Birmingham,  Alabama,  shortly  before 
midnight,  where  we  passed  General  Carpenter  and  staff  of 
the  Fourth  Army  Corps  on  their  way  to  Huntsville,  where 
that  corps  had  been  ordered  from  Tampa.  At  Birming- 
ham several  colored  men  boarded  the  train  and  began  to 
go  through  some  of  the  clothing  of  the  men  whose  fathers, 
had  made  them  free.  They  were,  however,  soon  promptly 
fired  from  the  train,  and,  after  a  few  shots  fired  in  the  air 
by  the  daring  lieutenant  appointed  for  that  purpose,  the 
train  was  ready  to  proceed.  The  next  morning  papers  at 
Decatur  told  us  that  the  protocol  had  been  signed  and  that 

4 


5<D  HISTORY    OF   THE 

the  war  was  virtually  at  an  end;  but  on  we  went,  arriving  at 
2:45  P.  M.  at  Thomasville,  known  as  the  "garden  city  of 
the  south,"  and  one  of  its  best  known  and  most  popular 
health  resorts.  Late  in  the  afternoon  we  came  to  Way- 
cross;  here  we  had  an  hour's  stop.  The  colonel  ordered 
the  battalion  off  and  instructed  company  commanders  to 
give  their  men  the  setting-up  exercise  and  some  of  the  foot 
movements.  A  heavy  rain  interfered  even  before  Com- 
pany G  could  complete  its  roll  call,  yet  it  was  finished  de- 
spite the  fact  that  every  man  got  soaked  through;  the 
other  companies  broke  for  shelter  at  the  first  sign  and 
were  soon  scattered  over  town,  some  looking  for  a  bite  to 
eat,  others  for  a  drink,  the  former  getting  the  best  of  the 
deal,  for  Waycross  is  a  sure  enough  "dry  town,"  despite 
the  fact  that  the  streets  were  flooded  with  water  and  the 
mud  ankle  deep.  At  Waycross  an  old  darkey  brother 
came  to  us  with  the  query  "is  you  all  gwine  down  to  jine 
Sherman?"  Assuring  him  that  we  were,  we  again  boarded 
the  train  and  soon  finished  our  journey,  arriving  at  Jackson- 
ville at  9:30  P.  M.  of  the  i  3th,  where  we  were  run  into  the 
yards  and  there  awaited  the  coming  of  the  other  sections, 
which  were  said  to  be  somewhere  in  our  rear.  The  trip 
was  devoid  of  any  incident  further  than  the  excitement,  to 
some  of  the  favored  ones  riding  on  the  engine  while  pass- 
ing through  Georgia,  caused  by  running  over  an  occasional 
steer. 

SECOND    SECTION. 

This  section  followed  closely  after  the  first.  It  car- 
ried the  First  Battalion  with  Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus  in 
command  and  with  Lieutenant  Gerrish  and  Chaplain 
Biederwolf  of  the  staff. 

The  men  were  comfortably  fixed,  two  in  a  lower  berth 
and  one  in  an  upper  and  with  every  one  in  highest  spirits 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  51 

we  chased  away  in  hot  pursuit  of  the  section  in  advance. 
Captain  Baird  was  made  officer  of  the  day  and  Lieutenant 
Fitch  officer  of  the  guard. 

For  every  coach  end  there  was  a  guard  who  stood  with- 
out in  the  day  and  sat  within  at  night.  We  knew  the 
good  example  the  first  section  would  set  us  in  sobriety  and 
it  was  desirable  to  set  the  same  example  to  the  section 
following  us  and  one  of  the  works  of  chief  importance  was 
preventing  liquor  being  passed  to  the  men  through  the 
windows  by  those  who  were  dwarfed  in  character  enough 
to  do  it. 

One  son  of  darkness  was  caught  in  the  act  just  before 
we  started;  he  was  brought  into  the  presence  of  Lieutenant- 
colonel  Backus  who  ordered  him  turned  over  to  civil  au- 
thorities; how  he  did  beg  and  promise  and  finally  when  the 
Colonel  asked  him  how  quick  he  would  get  out  if  allowed 
to  run  he  said  "  Now  boss,  foh  God!  if  you  give  dis  chile 
three  seconds  you  can  shoot  at  him.  "  The  colonel  gave 
it  to  him  and  he  was  out  of  sight  in  less  time  than  he 
had  bargained  for.  At  every  stop  along  the  way  guards 
were  placed  outside  along  the  cars  who  did  double  duty 
of  keeping  the  men  in  and  every  thing  undesirable  out. 
In  this  regard  the  section  is  indebted  to  Lieutenant  Ger- 
rish  for  admirable  service  rendered.  The  train  reached  the 
smoky  city  of  Louisville  early  on  the  morning  of  the 
1 2th  where  it  had  the  misfortune  of  starting  up  before 
some  of  the  men  got  on  board.  Billy  Woods,  of  Company 
A,  and  a  few  others  had  only  met  some  friends  but  they 
turned  up  in  Jacksonville  as  good  as  new  a  few  minutes 
after  the  regiment  was  on  the  ground. 

The  boys  didn't  do  a  thing  to  the  big  juicy  water- 
melons that  were  waiting  all  along  the  way  to  meet  the 
train.  They  were  dessert  to  the  corn-beef. and  beans  and 
hard-tack  that  fed  the  boys,  and  revenue  to  the  sleepy  old 


52  HISTORY    OF    THE 

farmer  who  was  fortunate  enough   to   have  his  crop  in  the 
right  market  at  the  right  time. 

Everywhere  we  were  greeted  with  characteristic  south- 
ern cordiality,  especially  generous  under  circumstances  fast 
obliterating  the  last  bit  of  sectional  feeling  and  calling  us 
together  in  the  common  struggle  then  on.  There  were 
cheers  and  there  were  waving  handkerchiefs,  there  were 
hand-shakings  and  expressive  good-byes  though  they  had 
met  but  for  a  moment.  Beautiful  bouquets,  roses  and  loose 
flowers  were  laid  in  our  hands  at  every  stop  and  on  every 
side  expressions  of  universal  good  feeling  and  best  wishes 
to  cheer  us  as  we  went,  made  the  run  an  interesting  and 
delightful  one. 

From  an  occasional  inquiry  as  to  when  the  preceding 
section  had  passed  we  learned  that  either  they  were  gain- 
ing time  or  we  were  losing  it;  our  frequent  stops  to  repair 
couplings  suggested  the  latter;  the  platforms  were  pulling 
off  and  in  order  to  arrive  with  the  same  number  of  cars 
with  which  we  started  it  became  necessary  to  stop  at 
Decatur,  Alabama,  and  throw  three  cars  to  the  rear.  The 
train  then  rolled  on  to  Montgomery,  Alabama's  capital,  and 
for  a  brief  period  capital  of  the  Confederate  States;  here 
the  men  who  cared  to  wake  up  got  coffee  at  2  A.  M.  The 
first  section  seemed  to  be  uneasy  about  the  tardiness  and 
sent  us  the  following  telegram,  received  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  out  of  Montgomery. 
"Lieut. -Col.  Backus: 

1  •  Why  is  second  section  so  far  behind ;  report  condition 
of  your  command,  including  chaplain. 

"COL.    W.    T.    DURBIN." 

The  following  reply  was  wired  at  once. 
"Col.  W.  T.  Durbin: 

"  Making  best  possible  time,  three  couplings  broke;  all 
sober  except  chaplain."  "V.  M.  BACKUS." 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  53 

That  was  an  ingenious  stroke,  but  a  few  hours  later 
when  information  was  received  that  beer  was  substituted 
for  coffee  at  Thomasville  the  chaplain  had  a  fit  of  genuine 
sobriety.  Could  any  one  think  that  a  hungry  man  would 
prefer  beer  to  a  quart  of  delicious  hot  coffee;  were  the 
men  who  did  not  drink  beer  to  have  nothing?  No.  A  canvass 
was  made.  "  Boys  remember  those  who  take  beer  get  no 
coffee."  Be  it  to  their  credit  that  three-fourths  chose  cof- 
fee, which  they  got;  the  guzzler  gulped  his  beer  and  then 
begged  for  coffee  which  he  didn't  get  and  the  train  rolled 
on  to  Waycross.  More  than  a  century  ago  General  Ogle- 
thorpe,  then  governor  of  the  colony  of  Georgia,  had  his  head- 
quarters in  Waycross;  it  is  to-day  one  of  the  most  attract- 
ive places  in  the  state,  its  temperature  and  its  environs 
making  it  a  rendezvous  for  many  a  winter  visitor.  After  a 
short  stay  for  supper  the  train  pulled  out  for  the  last  part 
of  the  long  run  to  Jacksonville  just  as  the  third  section 
came  up  at  9  P.  M.  Arriving  at  Jacksonville  at  2:30  A.  M. , 
we  found  the  first  section  a  few  hours  in  advance  of  us  and 
after  waiting  until  6:30  A.  M.  the  men  had  an  opportunity 
for  breakfast,  and  were  ready  to  leave  for  the  campsite,  six 
miles  out  of  the  city. 

THE    THIRD    SECTION. 

After  a  long,  weary  wait  on  the  transportation  depart- 
ment there  came  a  scramble  for  berths  in  the  train  which 
was  to  convey  the  third  section  to  Jacksonville,  Florida; 
then  another  one  of  those  unexplained  delays  which  seemed 
to  be  intended  for  those  who  had  mothers,  wives  and  sweet- 
hearts to  bid  goodbye,  and  we  steamed  slowly  away  from 
anxious  friends  and  relatives,  from  our  native  state  and 
from  the  scene  of  our  regimental  birth.  Our  trip  was  to  be 
a  long  one,  uneventful  in  most  part,  but  in  fact  made  up  of 


54  HISTORY    OF    THE 

numerous  modest  incidents  which  become  more  interesting 
with  retrospection. 

Besides  the  battalion  commander  and  his  companies 
this  section  was  accompanied  by  Quartermaster  Brunt  and 
Dr.  Wilson  of  the  staff.  Officers  of  the  day  and  guard 
were  appointed,  the  train  was  carefully  searched,  all  lock- 
ers and  other  places  of  possible  concealment  opened  and 
every  discovered  drop  of  intoxicants  thrown  away  and 
every  precaution  taken  to  bring  the  section  through  in  an 
orderly  and  commendable  way. 

Sleep  and  sociability  were  scarce  that  night;  in  sub- 
dued wakefulness  the  boys  lay  quiet  and  thought  of  the 
past  and  the  unknown  future.  Of  course  the  coffee  did 
not  turn  up  at  the  breakfast  hour,  but  it  came  later.  The 
first  meeting  with  the  preceding  section  occurred  at  Bow- 
ling Green,  Kentucky,  where,  after  a  short  breathing  space, 
we  separated  for  another  run.  At  Nashville  it  was  late 
coffee  again.  We  were  fast  leaving  our  beloved  North 
behind  us  as  was  plainly  noticed  by  the  increase  of  colored 
people  and  by  the  increase  of  R's  in  the  speech  of  the 
whites.  We  stopped  for  a  short  time  at  the  historic  town 
of  Pulaski,  made  historic  by  its  association  with  the  Army 
of  Tennessee  in  the  last  great  war.  We  stayed  in  Pulaski 
too  long,  all  on  account  of  a  dog;  just  a  shepherd  dog, 
nameless  so  far  as  we  knew,  but  he  left  Pulaski  with  our 
train,  it  is  presumed,  and  soon  the  wires  were  hot  with 
messages  which  were  being  continually  poked  at  us  in 
regard  to  that  dog;  the  militia  was  not  ordered  out  by 
Governor  Taylor,  nor  was  the  military  force  of  Alabama 
called  upon  to  restore  the  much  desired  canine,  but  many 
a  self-important  marshal  of  many  a  sleepy  southern  town 
was  forced  to  stop  whittling  his  favorite  store-box  and 
inquire  for  the  lost  pet.  In  the  meantime  the  dog's  con- 
science troubled  him  for  leaving  home  and  we  kindly  put 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  55 

him  in  a  condition  to  return,  and  when  we  were  next 
approached  by  a  diplomatic  representative  of  the  Mont- 
gomery police  force  in  reference  to  the  dog  he  was  given 
carte  blancJic  to  search  the  train,  but  in  vain,  for  if  the  dog 
wasn't  on  his  way  home,  who  could  be  blamed?  Surely 
not  the  policeman. 

The  short  stops  at  the  small  stations,  such  as  Ashford 
in  Alabama,  Bainbridge,  Thomasville  and  Naylor  in  Geor- 
gia, gave  us  an  opportunity  to  observe  the  strangers  among 
whom  fate  had  thrown  us.  At  Bainbridge  and  Naylor  our 
coaches  were  strewn  with  beautiful  southern  roses;  at  the 
former  of  these  places  a  charming  little  southern  beauty 
gave  to  Major  Megrew  a  sweet  smile,  accompanied  with  a 
beautiful  bouquet  of  roses,  on  the  inside  of  which  was  a  little 
note  which  read:  "If  you  want  to  make  the  Spaniards 
run,  just  give  the  rebel  yell,"  and  signed  "A  Little  Rebel." 
The  extreme  cordiality  which  was  shown  to  us  all  through 
the  south  was  too  strong  to  be  misunderstood;  it  was  a 
feeling  of  friendship  and  good  will.  We  reached  Jackson- 
ville about  3:30  A.  M.,  August  14,  and  in  six  hours  with  the 
rest  of  the  regiment  we  were  disembarked  at  Panama  Park, 
and  the  pine  and  palm  thickets  were  being  razed  in  a  most 
unceremonious  manner,  and  palm  trees  that  were  sold  for 
dollars  in  our  own  states  were  being  chopped  down  like 
thistles,  and  in  their  stead  arose  the  square  white  houses  of 
the  new  comers — the  tall  hoosiers  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Sixty-first  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry. 

FIRST    IMPRESSIONS. 

First  impressions  are  not  always  reliable,  but  the  men 
were  scarcely  ever  relieved  of  the  unfavorable  impression 
which  Florida  first  made  upon  them.  No  doubt  they  were 
expecting  too  much;  their  imagination  had  been  fired  by 


.56  HISTORY    OF    THE 

glowing  accounts  and  exaggerated  pictures  of  her  luxuriant 
vegetation  and  they  were  going 

"  Way  down  in  the  South  where  gulf  breezes  blow, 
Where  tall,  stately  pines  and  the  live  oaks  grow, 

Where  soft  summer  nights  are  cooled  by  the  dew, 

And  a  summer  sun  shines  the  winter  months  through." 

They  were  bound  for  the  "  sunny  South,"  where  lux- 
urious fruits  of  untold  variety  would  be  theirs  for  the 
trouble  of  gathering  them;  they  were  expecting  monkeys  to 
threw  cocoanuts  at  them  out  of  the  tops  of  beautiful  palms. 
But  it  is  true  that  the  Seventh  Army  Corps  did  not  locate 
in  the  best  part  of  this  reputed  land  of  flowers  and  although 
recent  winters  have  been  too  severe  for  much  of  its  fruit- 
age yet  there  are  many  portions  of  the  great  peninsula  that 
are  veritable  garden  spots.  But  there  was  an  abundance 
of  some  things;  for  instance,  there  were  darkies  enough; 
there  were  pine  trees  enough  and  there  was  sand  enough; 
enough  for  a  whole  Sahara  if  you  made  up  in  depth  what 
it  lacked  in  breadth;  there  was  also  sun  enough;  the  boys 
always  had  trouble  about  noon  in  finding  their  shadows  and 
the  direct  and  intense  heat  made  one  dull  and  stupid;  and 
there  was  Florida  moss  enough  dressing  all  those  live  oaks 
in  mourning  so  .prophetic  with  their  drapery  of  the  spirit 
that  was  so  sooii  to  take  hold  of  the  men. 

When  the  several  trains  arrived  at  the  camping  site 
the  regimental  effects  were  at  once  unloaded  and  the  men 
began  to  carry  them  to  their  proper  places  where  the  com- 
pany streets  had  been  laid  out.  An  elevated  piece  of 
ground  already  cleared  for  drilling  purposes  by  the  Third 
Nebraska,  who  were  immediately  on  our  right,  had  been 
reserved  for  us  and  immediately  the  busy  scenes  incident 
to  arranging  camp  commenced;  by  late  evening  all  tents 
were  up  and  the  camp  in  such  shape  as  a  day's  work  of  a 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  57 

regiment  will  usually  put  it,  but  all  the  men  were  tired;  the 
tramping  over  sand  and  scorched  by  a  hot  August  sun  that 
•cooked  the  vitality  out  of  a  fellow  and  the  hard  work  after 
a  hard  ride  went  a  good  ways  for  the  strongest  man  who 
was  not  accustomed  to  such  depressing  environment  and 
when  the  evening  came  with  its  cool  blessing  the  boys  laid 
•down  to  sleep  and  in  a  few  moments  might  have  been  for 
all  they  knew  back  in  the  Hoosier  state  where  so  many 
soon  wished  they  were. 

Immediately  to  our  right  was  the  Third  Nebraska, 
beyond  them  the  Second  Mississippi  and  behind  us  a  little 
to  the  left  the  Third  Division  Hospital.  Upon  our  arrival 
Colonel  Durbin  was  notified  that  his  regiment  had  been 
assigned  to  the  First  Brigade,  Third  Division  of  the  Seventh 
Army  Corps.  The  Seventh  Army  Corps  had  at  that  time 
the  following  composition: 

Major-General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  Commanding. 

FIRST  DIVISION. 
Major-General  J.  Warren  Keifer,  Commanding. 

FIRST    BRIGADE. 

Brigadier-General  Lloyd  Wheaton,  Commanding. 

First  Texas  Volunteer  Infantry. 
First  Louisiana  Volunteer  Infantry. 
First  Alabama  Volunteer  Infantry. 

SECOND  BRIGADE.' 

Brigadier  General  W.  W.  Gordon,  Commanding. 

Second  Texas  Volunteer  Infantry. 
Second  Louisiana  Volunteer  Infantry. 
Second  Alabama  Volunteer  Infantry. 


$8  HISTORY. OF    THE 

THIRD  BRIGADE. 

Colonel  C.  B.  Hunt,  First  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  Commanding. 

Fourth  United  States  Volunteer  Infantry. 
First  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry. 

SECOND  DIVISION. 
Brigadier-General  Abraham  K.  Arnold,  Commanding. 

FIRST    BRIGADE. 

Brigadier-General  Andrew  S.  Burt,  Commanding. 

Second  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 
First  North  Carolina  Volunteer  Infantry. 
Second  New  Jersey  Volunteer  Infantry. 

SECOND    BRIGADE. 

Colonel  D.  V.  Jackson,  Fiftieth  Iowa  Volunteer  Infantry, 
Commanding. 

Fiftieth  Iowa  Volunteer  Infantry. 
First  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry. 
Ninth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 

THIRD    BRIGADE. 

Brigadier-General  H.  C.  Hasbrouck,  Commanding. 

Second  Virginia  Volunteer  Infantry. 
Fourth  Virginia  Volunteer  Infantry. 
Forty-ninth  Iowa  Volunteer  Infantry. 

THIRD  DIVISION. 
Brigadier-General  Lucius  F.  Hubbard,  Commanding. 

FIRST    BRIGADE. 

Brigadier-General  Lucius  F.  Hubbard,  Commanding. 
Second  Mississippi  Volunteer  Infantry. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  59 

Third  Nebraska  Volunteer  Infantry. 
One  Hundred  and   Sixty-first   Indiana   Volunteer   In- 
fantry. 

SECOND    BRIGADE. 

Brigadier-General  James  H.  Barklay,  Commanding. 

Fourth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 
First  South  Carolina  Volunteer  Infantry. 
Sixth  Missouri  Volunteer  Infantry. 

THE  SECOND  UNITED  STATES  VOLUNTEER  CAVALRY. 

Colonel  Jay  L.  Torrey,  Commanding. 

SIGNAL    CORPS    BATTALION. 

Captain  H.  C.  Giddings,  Commanding. 

The  Seventh  Army  Corps  on  September  ist  consisted, 
therefore,  of  three  infantry  divisions,  one  cavalry  regiment, 
one  signal  corps  battalion,  three  hospital  and  four  ambu- 
lance companies.  A  total  of  twelve  hundred  and  fifty-two 
commissioned  officers  and  thirty  thousand  one  hundred 
and  nineteen  enlisted  men. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


CAMP    CUBA    LIBRE. 

August  14,  '98-September  30,  '98. 

The  following  day  was  like  the  first  and  with  the  com- 
ing of  the  next  came  also  the  news  that  on  that  day,  Aug- 
ust 16,  there  would  be  held  a  brigade  review  in  honor  of 
the  governor  of  Nebraska;  Governor  Holcomb  had  arrived 
in  the  city,  Saturday  evening,  the  I3th,  and  had  come  as 
a  visitor  of  Colonel  Bryan,  of  the  Third  Nebraska,  to 
Camp  Cuba  Libre  on  Sunday,  and  after  spending  the  night 
in  camp  witnessed  the  review  on  Monday.  Being  the  first 
review  with  which  the  regiment  was  connected  the  officers 
had  naturally  a  little  solicitude  about  the  part  it  was  to  play 
in  the  parade  and  did  not  return  in  the  highest  elatement 
over  its  deportment,  but  the  fault  lay  elsewhere  than  in  the 
regiment. 

On  the  1 7th  occurred  the  first  regimental  formation 
in  the  South,  regimental  parade  being  held  late  in  the  after- 
noon; the  following  few  days  were  spent  as  usual  under 
such  circumstances;  there  were  tents  to  be  floored,  sinks 
and  shacks  to  be  built  and  land  to  be  cleared;  the  tempera- 
ture was  103°  and  the  drilling  necessarily  very  light,  one 
and  one-half  hours  only  being  devoted  to  those  military 
gyrations  which  some  of  the  men  have  dubbed  "The  Sol- 
dier's delight;"  now  Florida  was  a  part  of  our  country  and 
still  is,  although  some  of  the  men  were  of  the  impression 
that  one  of  the  peace  conditions  should  be  that  Spain  should 
take  it  back,  yet  being  of  their  native  land,  like  true  patriots 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


6r 


whose  sole  purpose  it  is  to  sacrifice  themselves  for  their 
country,  the  men  all  became  members  cf  "The  Florida 
Land  Improvement  Company"  and  spent  their  spare  time 
in  grubbing  stumps  and  roots  and  underbrush,  thereby 
enhancing  the  value  of  the  land  so  that  an  acre  wholly 
worthless  when  we  came  might  under  pressing  circumstances 
be  sold  for  a  few  farthings  when  we  left.  On  the  banks  of 
the  St.  Johns,  not  far  away,  was  situated  the  famous  Cum- 
mer Lumber  mills,  one  of  the  largest  establishments  for 
the  sawing  and  shipping  of  yellow  pine  in  the  United  States 
and  with  its  genial  proprietor  arrangements  were  made  for 
fumisMner  the  regiment  wit^  'umber.  All  told  two  hundred 


COMPANY  STREET  IN  CAMP  CUBA  LIBRE. 

and  forty  thousand  feet  of  lumber  were  there  used  by  the 
One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana;  as  fast  as  it  could  be 


62 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


hauled  to  the  regiment  it  was  made  up  into  floors  and  need- 
ful structures  and  by  the  iQth  every  tent  in  the  regiment 
had  its  floor  that  was  to  guard  its  sleeping  inmates  from 
those  sneaking  malarial  microbes  that  came  up  out  of  the 
ground  like  a  thief  in  the  night  to  fill  the  men  with  poison 
fever  and  to  steal  away  their  color  and  their  spirits. 

By  the  end  of  the  first  week  the  carpenters  detailed 
for  the  purpose  had  erected  all  the  company  cook  shacks; 
back  of  headquarters  the  battalion  and  noncommissioned 
mess  tents  arose  and  finally  after  the  colonel  and  all  his 
staff  had  more  sand  in  their  craws  than  ever  before  or  since 
a  kitchen  and  breeze  catching  dining  room  covered  a  spot 
on  the  sand  where  they  could  humour  their  stomachs  in 
comfort  when  there  was  any  thing  else  besides  fish  to  eat. 
Among  the  first  regimental  buildings  to  be  erected  was  the 


COMMISSARY.     CAMP  CUBA  LIBRE. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  63 

structure  to  be  used  for  the  purpose  of  the  commissary. 
Here  the  meat  was  handled  and  the  bread  baked  and  the 
rations  issued  and  in  this  building  the  Exchange  had  its 
birth  the  following  month. 

The  commissary  business  at  Camp  Mount  had  been  in 
the  hands  of  M.  R.  Peterson,  assisted  by  Lieutenant  Meston 
and  rations  were  issued  from  the  Fine  Arts  building.  Upon 
the  regiment's  departure  for  Jacksonville  First  Lieutenant 
Crocker  was  appointed  regimental  commissary  officer,  which 
position  he  held  until  sickness  made  necessary  a  leave  of 
absence  and  Second  Lieutenant  Freeman  was  appointed  to 
succeed  him  on  the  5th  of  September  and  served  till  the 
service  closed  except  during  the  time  between  February 
23  and  March  23,  when  sick  in  the  Second  Division  hospital 
at  Camp  Columbia,  during  which  time  Lieutenant  Brunt  acted 
in  his  stead.  Lieutenant  Freeman  has  been  ably  assisted  by 
the  valuable  clerkship  of  Sergeant  Charles  E.  Wolf,  acting 
regimental  commissary  sergeant. 

This  department  draws  and  issues  all  rations  for  the 
regiment  and  besides  the  one  thousand  three  hundred  to 
one  thousand  five  hundred  loves  of  bread  baked  each  day, 
practically  a  loaf  a  day  for  each  man,  the  following  figures 
will  show  at  what  cost  to  the  Government  a  month's  rations 
are  issued  to  a  regiment  of  men.  These  figures  are 
furnished  by  Lieutenant  Freeman. 

Fresh  beef,  31,500  Ibs.  at  6c $1,890.00 

Beef  roasted,  one-pound  cans,  3,900  Ibs.  at  14.0  195.00 

Flour,  30,400  Ibs.    at  2c 608.00 

Hard  bread,  1 1 , 700  Ibs.  at  6c 702.00 

Beans,  3,000  Ibs.  at  2c 60.00 

Rice,    2,000  Ibs.  at  6c 120.00 

Potatoes,  208  bush,  at    $i 208.00 

Onions,  52    bush,  at    $i 52.00 


64  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Tomatoes,  3,480  Ibs.  at  8^c , $295.80 

Coffee,   green,    2,000  Ibs.  at  8|c 175.00 

Coffee  roasted,    1,440  Ibs.  at  I2|c 183.00 

Sugar,    5,900  Ibs.    at  4.^0 265.  50 

Vinegar,    400    gals,  at  120 48.00 

Salt,    i , 600  Ibs.  at  -go 1 4. oo 

Pepper,   100  Ibs.  at  15^0 i5-5<> 

Soap,  i,  560    Ibs.  at    30. 46.80 

Salmon,  3,936  Ibs.  at  90 354. 24 

Bacon,  8,775  Ibs.  at    70 614.25 


Total $5, 847.09 

On  the  I9th  another  review  was  ordered,  and  the 
brigade  was  passed  in  review  before  its  commanding  officer, 
Colonel  Montgomery,  of  the  Second  Mississippi.  On  this 
occasion,  as  on  the  previous  one,  there  was  no  band  to  fur- 
nish music  for  the  regiment,  but  after  a  long  wait  a  very 
inferior  set  of  brass  band  instruments  came  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  22d.  All  around  us  from  other  regiments  had 
been  heard  the  music  of  their  bands,  but  now  the  boys 
were  fixed  and  that  day  there  was  music  down  the  lines. 
"  Tich  "  beat  the  bass-drum,  and  the  band  marched  down 
by  the  companies,  while  all  the  men  fell  in  to  cheer;  the 
next  morning  at  "  can't  get  'em  up  "  time  they  were 
aroused  in  the  same  way.  It  was  only  two  weeks  until  the 
instruments  in  question  were  laid  aside  and  replaced  by  the 
high-class  ones  of  the  Second  Mississippi,  who  were  bound 
for  home. 

There  was  another  review  held  on  this  day,  this  time 
it  being  the  division  which  was  passed  in  review  on  the 
usual  parade  place  at  4  o'clock  p.  M.  before  Brigadier- 
General  Hubbard.  On  the  24th  the  chaplain's  assembly 
tent  arose,  a  cool  and  commodious  affair,  where  the  officer 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  65 

in  charge  could  always  look  for  his  detail  when  they  turned 
up  missing,  and  where  the  men  licked  the  ice  when  there 
was  no  water  in  the  barrel  and  the  hot  sun  made  it  danger- 
ous for  them  to  venture  after  a  bucketfull. 

On  the  same  day  the  barn,  with  its  sixteen  stalls,  the 
best  the  horses  ever  saw  since  leaving  Hoosierdom,  was 
ready  for  them,  previous  to  which  they  had  stood  about 
making  the  best  of  it.  At  Camp  Mount  they  were  sheltered 
in  the  comfortable  stock  barns,  in  Savannah  in  a  rented 
affair  that  passed  for  a  barn,  save  a  few  that  were  given  free 
stalls  by  a  kind  friend  across  the  way,  while  the  accommo- 
dations in  Cuba  are  shown  in  the  accompanying  cut. 


BARN — CAMP  CUBA  LIBRE. 


The  25th  saw   the  colonel  start  on  his   flying  trip   to 
Washington;  no  one  could  swear  to  the  purpose  for  which 

5 


66  HISTORY    OF    THE 

he  went  but  every  private  in  the  ranks  knew.  Already  some 
of  the  men  wanted  to  go  home  but  the  colonel  was  in  for 
"On  to  Cuba,"  to  which  place  when  he  returned  the  fol- 
lowing Sunday  he  told  them  they  had  the  brightest  pros- 
pects of  going;  it  was  Sunday  evening  just  time  for  the 
chaplain's  service  when  the  colonel  decided  by  reason  of 
the  exigence  of  the  occasion  to  hold  a  little  service  of  his 
own;  he  always  drew  a  bigger  crowd  than  the  chaplain  and 
that  night  the  men  being  particularly  anxious  about  their 
future  state  he  got  the  whole  regiment  and  when  he  told 
them  of  their  probable  going  to  Cuba  the  same  fellows  who 
had  just  before  preferred  home -going  broke  loose  in  uncon- 
trollable enthusiam  upon  the  expenditure  of  which  the 
chaplain  had  to  wait  for  his  service. 

During  the  colonel's  absence  the  division  was  reviewed 
on  the  26th  by  its  commander,  and  a  few  days  later  was 
passed  in  review  before  General  Lee.  This  was  the  first 
time  the  corps  commander  had  reviewed  the  Third  Division, 
and  it  brought  to  the  men  their  first  opportunity  of  seeing 
the  general,  of  whom  they  had  heard  so  much.  The  men 
were  in  heavy  marching  order,  and  the  formation  was  in 
masses,  on  three  sides  of  a  hollow  square,  in  the  clear 
space  by  the  side  of  Panama  park.  It  was  the  most  elab- 
orate affair  the  boys  had  yet  attended,  and  they  did  them- 
selves proud;  their  excellent  training  was  beginning  to 
show,  and  the  regiment  received  the  unqualified  recom- 
mendation of  the  general.  This  review  was  closely  fol- 
lowed by  another  on  the  last  day  of  the  month.  This  was, 
however,  to  be  a  review,  and  the  first  one,  of  the  entire 
Seventh  Army  Corps,  and  was  to  be  held  in  the  city  of 
Jacksonville  before  the  commander  of  the  corps. 

The  regiment  left  camp  at  12:30  and  marched  into  the 
city,  taking  its  place  in  the  Third  Division,  which  was 
reviewed  first  after  Torrey's  Cavalry  and  the  Signal  Corps 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  6/ 

had  passed  the  reviewing  stand.  Twenty-three  regiments 
and  more  than  twenty-eight  thousand  men  were  in  line. 
The  entire  police  force  of  the  city  went  before  the  pro- 
cession, and  General  Lee  and  staff  headed  the  column 
until  the  reviewing  stand  was  reached.  Every  inch  of 
available  space  was  crowded  with  a  mass  of  white  and 
black  humanity,  while  from  the  piazzas  of  the  Windsor 
the  more  favored  looked  down  and  pitied(?)  the  less  fortu- 
nate. It  took  two  hours  for  the  corps  to  pass  the  review- 
ers, and  the  men  were  greeted  with  long  and  continued 
shouts  of  approval,  although,  from  a  military  standpoint, 
the  review  could  not  begin  to  compare  with  those  put  up 
by  the  same  corps,  though  reorganized,  in  later  months. 
Among  the  remarks  of  the  press  it  was  said  "  Colonel 
Durbin's  command  won  much  praise  by  its  fine  marching, 
full  companies  and  straight  lines."  Not  more  than  a  dozen 
men  from  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  fell  out  from 
exhaustion,  but  it  was  a  noticeable  and  notable  fact  that 
the  men  of  the  southern  regiments  could  not  stand  the 
ordeal  as  well  as  those  from  the  north,  but  with  drooping 
heads,  laid  down  in  every  spot,  as  the  sturdy  Hoosiers 
showed  them  how  to  endure  their  own  climate.  The 
companies  returned  at  leisure,  marching  slowly  and  resting 
at  will,  until  they  arrived  at  camp,  from  6  to  7:30  p.  M., 
glad  the  day  was  over  and  ready  for  the  night. 

With  the  corps  review  closed  the  month  and  its  events; 
much  of  the  men's  spare  time  was  spent  in  exploring  the 
country  adjacent  to  the  camp,  many  whiled  away  the  hours 
between  drills  along  the  shell  road  that  led  to  Jacksonville, 
that  fine  driveway  that  came  into  existence  when  northern 
generosity  sent  the  suffering  south  more  money  than  she 
needed  or  knew  what  to  do  with;  others  sought  the  shade 
under  the  solemn  live  oaks  in  Panama  park  and  glanced  in 
upon  the  concrete  oval  where  some  of  the  world's  bicycle 


68  HISTORY    OF    THE 

records  have  been  made.  The  chief  amusement  was  fish- 
ing in  the  placid  St.  Johns  at  Cummers  mill  or  at  the  rail- 
road bridge  at  Trout  Creek.  Saturdays  and  Sundays  found 
many  disciples  of  Izaak  Walton  with  line  and  net  angling 
for  drum  and  bass  or  devoting  all  energy  to  catching  crabs, 
for  it  took  two  men  to  haul  in  a  crab  and  then  they  gener- 
ally missed  him.  There  was  so  much  sameness  to  the 
scenery  and  the  men  saw  it  always  before  them  so  they  will 
never  forget  it  were  there  nothing  else  but  impressions  of 
idle  moments  to  fix  it  before  them. 

For  sixteen  days  now  the  regiment  had  been  swelter- 
ing in  awful  heat;  the  burning  sun  was  above  and  the 
burning  sand  beneath,  filling  all  space  with  direct  and 
reflected  rays  of  intensest  heat  that  drove  the  men  moping  to 
their  tents.  A  small  breeze  about  10  o'clock  that  came 
blowing  its  way  so  gently  up  from  St.  John's  direction,  as 
if  it  felt  uncertain  of  its  welcome,  was  all  that  made  the 
day  endurable.  Between  the  hours  of  1 1  and  2  wisdom 
drove  every  man  into  the  shade  and  regimental  work  had 
to  wait  for  cooler  hours.  The  chief  blessing  of  that  climate 
is  in  the  cool  nights;  all  that  yellow  pine  grows  in  the 
night  time;  the  humidity  of  the  atmosphere  is  so  dense  that 
a  man  must  either  roll  his  clothes  up  and  hide  them  or 
wring  them  out  in  the  morning  before  dressing.  Unaccus- 
tomed to  such  conditions,  the  men  soon  showed  the  effects 
of  the  change;  acclimation  was  an  impossibility;  not  for  a 
citizen  with  home  comforts,  but  for  northern  army  men, 
yes.  The  number  at  sick  call  was  gradually  increasing  and 
the  eyes  of  some  of  the  men  were  touched  with  a  tinge  of 
beautiful  yellow.  Then  came  the  fever  in  terrific  force, 
but  it  was  a  sickness  the  German  calls  "  Heimweh,"  known 
in  Camp  Cuba  Libre  as  "  Home  sick  fever. "  It  was  not 
unmanly;  going  to  Cuba  was  not  a  certainty;  when  it  was 
the  men  cheered,  although  false  reports  of  its  heat  still 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  69 

more  intense  and  of  its  yellow  plague  were  not  alluring. 
Let  them  fight,  let  them  move — anything  rather  than  an 
indefinite  stay  where  they  were,  and  the  reason  was 
legitimate,  gainsay  it  he  who  will,  and  the  same  ground 
that  justified  the  resignation  of  some  of  the  army's  highest 
officers  and  men  of  soundest  judgment;  and  the  funny  part 
of  it  all  was  the  farce  played  by  the  line  officers  before  the 
colonel  on  the  3d  of  September,  when  each  reported  in 
turn  a  possible  half  dozen  who  were  anxious  to  go  home, 
and  one  a  probable  three  or  four  who  might  go  if  the  way 
was  clear,  while  a  regimental  vote  would  have  revealed 
eighty-five  per  cent,  of  the  men  with  their  hearts  in 
Hoosierdom;  in  fact,  a  quiet  ballot  by  the  first  sergeants 
resulted  in  ninety-five  per  cent.,  and  a  telegram  of  the  in- 
formation sent  the  governor.  The  next  day  was  Sunday, 
and  the  time  for  the  chaplain's  evening  service  had  come, 
and  the  pulpit  was  to  be  occupied  by  the  colonel.  The 
regiment  was  there,  and  it  was  a  great  and  notable  event. 
The  colonel  only  asked  for  five  minutes,  and  when  urged 
to  use  the  hour  modestly  replied  that  such  a  thing  would  be 
an  impossibility,  but  when  he  got  started,  like  all  men  who 
really  have  anything  to  say,  he  forget  himself  in  the 
interest  of  his  subject  and  what  he  said  was  a  plenty.  No 
one  doubts  to-day  that  he  said  the  right  thing;  it  was  a 
searching  speech,  with  plenty  of  sarcasm,  plenty  of  encour- 
agement and  plenty  of  good  advice,  and  the  men  went  to 
their  tents  thoughtful  and  hopeful  for  the  future. 

On  the  3d  of  the  month  the  inspector-general  of 
the  corps,  Lieutenant- Colonel  Curtis  Guild,  Jr.,  came  to 
the  regiment  on  a  tour  of  inspection.  He  was  a  genial 
officer,  and  the  men  liked  him.  The  tents  were  all  in 
order  for  his  inspecting  eye  and  the  men  were  in  company 
front  in  the  streets.  Their  guns  and  clothing  and  military 
knowledge  were  inspected.  A  beautiful  face  on  an  enamel 


7O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

button  was  pinned  to  one  man's  coat.  "  Your  sweetheart, 
I  suppose,"  said  the  colonel.  "Yes,  sir,"  was  the  polite 
answer.  "I  suppose  you  think  a  great  deal  of  her," 
remarked  the  colonel.  "Yes,  sir,"  said  the  soldier. 
"  Well,"  said  the  colonel,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  "  put 
her  under  the  lapel  where  she  can't  be  seen;  it's  not 
military." 

To  another:  "Well,  young  man,  what  would  you  do 
if  you  were  a  sentinel  and  an  enemy  should  attempt  to  cross 
your  line  in  the  night?"  "  Present  arms,"  was  the  prompt 
reply.  "And  you,  my  young  man,  what  would  you  do  if 
in  the  night  time  you  discovered  a  fire  in  your  captain's 
tent?"  "Report  it  to  headquarters,  sir,  through  chan- 
nels." 

Headquarters  tents  were  then  visited,  and  the  staff 
lined  up  for  inspection,  a  favorable  report  was  rendered, 
and  the  inspector  retired  to  Major  Smith's  tent. 

During  the  next  few  days  some  of  the  companies 
indulged  in  the  beginnings  of  skirmish  drill,  and  on  the  6th 
the  regiment  was  once  more  in  line  for  a  division  review  on 
the  parade  ground  by  the  park  at  5  p.  M. 

On  the  morning  of  the  9th,  Colonel  Durbin  was,  by 
General  Order  No.  15,  made  commander  of  the  First 
Brigade,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until  October  14. 

This  same  day  saw  the  departure  of  the  Third  Nebras- 
ka. Colonel  Bryan  had  gone  some  time  before  on  a  sick 
leave  and  his  regiment  was  now  going  to  Pablo  Beach. 
The  regiment  did  not  move  as  a  whole  and  as  the  men 
passed  through  our  camp  on  the  way  to  the  train  a  portion 
of  the  band  before  the  colonel's  tent  played  them  a  parting 
march  as  they  moved  through  in  a  drenching  rain,  and  the 
next  day  found  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  with  a 
supply  of  sentry  boxes  that  had  been  put  together  by  Ne- 
braska labor. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  /I 

On  the  1 2th  about  fifty  men  were  sent  to  the  Recu- 
perative Station  at  Pablo  Beach.  Lucky  men!  every  one 
but  one  got  a  furlough  home  within  fifteen  days,  and  that 


NUMBER  NINE — RELIEF. 

one  preferred  to  grin  and  bear  it  out  in  the  regiment,  and 
accordingly  returned.  The  same  morning  saw  the  depart- 
ure of  the  Second  Mississippi  Regiment,  which  left  a  brigade 
of  one  regiment  only  in  the  camp.  It  was  the  privilege  of 
the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  to  clean  up  the  camping 
site  of  the  departing  regiment,  and  after  gathering  out  any 
lumber  that  could  be  advantageously  used  all  else  was 
burned,  the  city  authorities  took  up  the  water  pipes  and 
the  ground  was  left  clean  but  forsaken.  The  Third  Ne- 
braska sent  a  detail  back  from  Pablo  to  do  this  work  on 
the  ground  they  left,  but  of  all  camps  that  needed  cleaning 
the  one  left  by  the  First  South  Carolina  needed  it  most;  the 


72  HISTORY    OF    THE 

condition  of  men  and  camp  on  the  day  of  departure  was  a 
fit  matter  of  report  to  General  Barclay  by  Major  Megrew, 
field  officer  of  the  day;  that  some  had  more  sickness  than 
the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  is  not  strange  in  view  of 
the  contrast  between  their  camp  conditions;  it  was  a  mat- 
ter of  self  protection  that  took  a  detail  from  the  Indiana 
regiment  into  the  filth  and  foul  smelling  odor  left  behind 
by  these  Carolina  troops,  and  set  fire  to  everything  that 
would  burn  and  filled  all  their  sinks  with  sand. 

There  is  no  question  but  that  the  idea  of  burning  gar- 
bage instead  of  burying  it  is  an  excellent  health  preserva- 
tive, and  the  "Backus  Garbage  Burner"  will  always  in- 
variably connect  itself  with  the  health  status  of  the  regi- 
ment. It  is  generally  supposed  that  water  will  extinguish 
fire,  but  the  lieutenant-colonel  declared  that  the  only 
thing  science  revealed  was  that  when  water  and  fire  came 
together,  one  of  the  two  would  be  consumed,  from  which 
he  deduced  the  idea  that  if  he  had  enough  fire  he  could 
burn  water.  A  little  search  revealed  an  old  engine  boiler 
made  of  heavy  iron  and  lying  rejected  in  the  yards  of  Mer- 
rill Steven's  Engineering  Company  in  the  city. 

The  necessary  purchase  was  made  and  the  mammoth 
concern  hauled  to  the  rear  of  camp  and  there  set  up  as 
shown  by  the  accompanying  illustration.  A  mighty  fire 
that  would  have  put  the  old  time  infernal  regions  to  shame 
was  there  created  and  the  colonel  said  "  Bring  on  your 
garbage."  Every  thing  that  goes  to  make  up  slop  was  then 
brought,  potato  peeling,  bread  refuse,  hardtack,  tin  cans, 
coffee  leavings,  dish  water  and  all  its  other  wet  ingredients 
and  into  the  fiery  furnace  it  went;  the  flames  licked  up  the 
water,  then  consumed  the  dry  stuff  and  ended  by  burning 
up  the  ashes,  while  its  designer  looked  on  with  a  com- 
placent smite.  The  garbage  was  dumped  in  above,  the 
machine  operated  twice  a  day  and  consumed  a  half  load  of 


w 

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O 

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74  HISTORY    OF    THE 

wood  at  each  operation.  The  institution  was  presented  to 
the  Third  Division  Hospital  on  the  regiment's  departure 
and  a  somewhat  smaller  one  procured  at  Savannah  which 
did  service  throughout  the  stay  in  Cuba,  where  the  locomo- 
tive was  fired  by  Harry  Rider,  of  Company  F. 

For  ten  days  after  the  I2th  nothing  of  note  occurred 
save  the  faithful  work  of  the  men  at  drill.  Every  morn- 
ing from  7  till  9  battalion  drills  were  on,  and  a  regi- 
mental parade  for  every  afternoon  at  4:30.  In  looking  back 
upon  the  work  of  these  early  days  and  upon  the  continual 
marching  in  review  at  "port  arms  "  before  the  colonel  one 
may  discover  the  chief  reason  for  that  degree  of  excellence 
afterwards  attained.  It  was  not  meant  to  pass  in  silence 
the  narrow  escape  of  our  old  friend  Newton  Burke,  the 
wagonmaster;  may  he  live  long  and  prosper;  his  laugh  was  a 
cross  betweeen  a  bantum  cackle,  a  horse  neigh  and  a  sheep 
bleat;  you  can  tell  him  in  the  next  world  if  you're  near  him 
and  he  takes  a  notion  to  laugh.  Others  had  escapes;  Good- 
rich just  missed  a  cork  leg;  the  chaplain  a  swampy  grave 
and  Stott  a  humiliating  death  in  the  presence  of  the  com- 
mand, all  on  account  of  a  horse — the  first  two  from  inferior 
horsemanship,  but  to  manage  the  steed  that  Stott  rode  took 
skill  and  strength  that  few  possess.  Every  one  has  seen 
the  picture  of  Sheridan  in  his  daring  ride  so  highly  tragic 
as  he  dashed  along  the  line  of  his  command,  but  Phil  wasn't 
in  it  with  Stott.  He  was  mounted  on  "Kaki."  Every- 
one knows  Kaki  and  knows  that  if  he  could  speak  he  could 
tell  some  ancient  tales,  but  the  way  he  flew  up  and  down 
the  lines  that  day  was  most  surprising  to  Stott  and  made 
him  think  seriously  of  resigning  his  commission  and  joining 
the  Rough  Riders.  But  Newton  Burke's  experience  beat 
them  all.  You  see,  Newton  was  the  new  wagonmaster,  and, 
before  the  corral  equipments  came,  had  a  few  days  of  leisure 
and  would  see  the  wonderful  country  into  which  he  had 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  75, 

come.  Now,  Newton  should  have  known  better  than  to  get 
on  Pete  (pronounced  as  two  syllables)  for  Pete  would  do  any- 
thing for  Sam  Kahn  and  knew  that  Sam  and  Newton  didn't 
get  along  very  well,  and  consequently  had  it  in  for  Newton; 
he  couldn't  dump  the  old  man  outright,  for  his  purpose 
would  have  been  too  apparent,  and  so  waited  an  occasion 
which  came  when  a  neighboring  regimental  band  began 
playing  as  Pete  and  Newton  were  going  along  a  ditch  by 
the  railroad.  Now,  Pete  didn't  do  a  thing  to  Newton  but 
roll  down  the  ditch  and  light  on  Newton  with  enough  force 
to  break  his  rib,  and  the  latest  is,  that  Newton  got  even 
with  Pete  by  applying  for  a  pension  for  being  kicked  by  a 
government  mule. 

September  was  a  month  of  noted  camp  improvement. 
The  latter  part  of  the  first  week's  work  was  begun  on 
the  guard-house  and  ended  by  erecting  a  veritable  prison, 
which  the  men  called  the  bastile,  and  a  cut  of  which  is  on 
another  page.  Prior  to  its  construction  the  men  were 
lodged  in  the  assembly  tent,  and  called  it  a  snap;  but  when 
put  in  the  bastile  the  thing  was  different,  and  yet  how 
seemingly  strange  that  some  men  were  willing  to  spend 
much  of  their  time  there  rather  than  make  an  effort  to  be 
a  good  soldier. 

About  the  middle  of  the  month  the  bath-houses  were 
built,  one  for  each  battalion,  and  a  little  later,  one  for 
headquarters;  then  the  mess-shacks  were  built,  and  the 
necessary  work  of  this  character  at  an  end;  provision  for 
comfort,  cleanliness  and  sanitary  conditions  had  been 
made,  but  work  did  not  stop  here.  Improvements  contin- 
ued; early  in  the  month  two  poles  were  spliced,  making 
one  of  enormous  length,  and  raised  before  headquarters  to 
bear  the  regimental  flag,  and  at  reveille  and  retreat  the 
stars  and  stripes  were  raised  and  lowered  as  long  as  Camp 
Cuba  Libre  lasted.  This  ceremony  is  at  once  beautiful 


76  HISTORY    OF    THE 

and  impressive,  the  flag  going  up  to  the  music  of  ' '  My 
Country,  'tis  of  Thee,"  and  dropping  slowly  to  the  soft 
strains  of  the  "Star  Spangled  Banner,"  as  every  man 
uncovers  and  lays  his  hat  over  the  place  of  his  heart. 
Witness  it  once  and  you  will  know  the  American  loves  his 
flag.  Around  the  base  of  this  pole  was  a  seven-pointed 
star-shaped  frame,  filled  with  fresh  sawdust  from  the  mill, 
which,  when  the  new  pole  was  raised  after  the  storm  had 
broken  the  first  one,  was  replaced  by  a  mortar  star,  cov- 
ered over  with  a  pure  white  coat,  imprinted  with  the  name 
of  the  regiment's  brigade  and  division.  Later  in  the 
month,  on  the  ipth,  was  begun  the  rustic  fence  running  to 
the  right  of  the  regiment  and  bearing  in  letters,  made  from 
limbs,  the  regimental  and  battalion  designations;  the  tall 
pines  standing  in  the  camp  were  dressed  in  a  coat  of  white- 
wash ;  the  walks  along  the  officers'  quarters  were  covered  with 
sawdust,  every  visible  root  was  grubbed  up  and  the  utmost 
pains  taken  in  policing  the  ground,  and  when  the  end  of 
the  month  was  near  and  the  news  came  that  the  honorable 
secretary  of  war  was  about  to  visit  the  corps,  the  camp  of 
the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  was  ready  for  any  man's 
inspection. 

General  Alger's  visit  to  the  Camp  Cuba  Libre  was  a 
notable  event  for  the  Seventh  Army  Corps  and  for  the 
One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana.  The  general  was 
accompanied  to  the  city  by  Surgeon-General  Sternberg  and 
General  M.  I.  Luddington,  quartermaster-general.  The 
First  and  Second  Division  hospitals  were  inspected  and 
the  divisions  reviewed;  it  was  after  four  o'clock  when  the 
general  and  his  party  reached  the  Third  Division  hospital 
in  the  rear  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana 
camp.  Not  content  to  allow  the  surgeon  to  make  these 
inspections  alone,  General  Alger  accompanied  him,  and 
together  they  walked  through  every  ward  on  the  grounds, 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  7/ 

making  inquiry  as  to  needs  and  conditions,  and  speaking 
words  of  kindness  and  encouragement  to  the  boys  who  were 
sick.  The  sun  was  going  down  as  the  general  left  the  hos- 
pital and  walked  over  into  the  camp  of  the  One  Hundred 
and  Sixty-first  Indiana.  He  gave  only  a  casual  glance  at 
the  white-washed  trees  and  the  well-made  sawdust  side- 
walks but  passed  to  the  rear  of  the  camp.  It  was  on  this 
occasion  that  he  pronounced  those  words  which  caused  the 
eyes  of  the  whole  Seventh  Army  Corps  to  turn  upon  the 
regiment  from  Indiana.  He  said  the  camp  was  "a  marvel 
of  neatness"  and  pronounced  it  a  "revelation."  It  was 
dark  when  the  Honorable  Secretary  of  War  reached  the 
parade  grounds  to  watch  the  Third  Division  pass  in  review 
before  him;  it  was  perhaps  the  only  review  of  its  kind  ever 
held,  and  was  a  most  interesting  spectacle  to  the  people 
who  waited  impatiently  for  the  general  to  come;  the  moon 
was  vainly  endeavoring  to  get  from  behind  the  hazy  clouds 
and  was  barely  successful  in  keeping  total  darkness  from 
covering  the  scene.  One  regiment  could  hardly  be  distin- 
guished from  another  as  they  passed  before  the  distin- 
guished visitor,  but  there  was  one  regiment  different  from 
all  the  rest,  and  when  it  had  passed  the  general  said  to  its 
commanding  officer,  '''•Colonel  Durbin,  that  is  the  finest 
regiment  I  have  ever  seen."  After  the  infantry  came  the 
cavalry  and  the  pack  mules,  which  latter  afforded  great 
amusement  for  the  visitors  as  they  kicked  up  their  heels 
and  dust  and  broke  away  in  double  time  toward  the  corral 
which  they  much  preferred  to  passing  in  review  before  the 
distinguished  guest  from  Washington. 

It  is  needless  here  to  comment  upon  the  satisfaction, 
to  officers  and  men  caused  by  General  Agler's  commenda- 
tion of  the  camp  and  of  the  regiment.  It  shows  duty  well 
done  and  hard  honest  effort  made  to  bring  honor  to  the 
great  commonwealth  from  which  we  came  and  we  have  a 
right  to  be  proud  of  the  record. 


CHAPTER  V. 


CAMP    CUBA    LIBRE. 

October  1-23,  '98. 

October  was  ushered  in  by  a  Saturday  that  brought 
its  usual  inspection  and  accompanying  quiet  while  the  men 
lounged  around  in  the  shade,  or  strolled  away  to  the  river. 
The  sky  was  a  little  overcast  in  the  afternoon  and  no  one 
would  have  been  surprised  if  an  ordinary  storm  had  blown 
down  upon  us,  but  as  night  drew  its  sable  gown  around  us 
and  the  men  lay  down  to  sleep,  none  ever  dreamed  of  the 
things  he  should  behold  on  the  morrow;  but  the  fact  was 
that  a  hurricane  had  arisen  in  the  West  Indies  and  was 
fast  sweeping  toward  us  over  the  south  Atlantic  coast. 
The  storm  struck  us  in  the  "wee  small  hours"  of  the 
night;  the  flags  began  their  slap  bang  crack  as  the  wind 
blew  "great  guns,"  and  the  rain  poured  down  in  torrents; 
the  poles  creaked,  the  tents  swayed  and  the  ropes  tugged 
at  the  pegs,  but  they  stood  it  well;  yet  a  few  went  down  in 
the  night  and  their  contents  were  blown  over  Duaval 
county,  while  a  few  hats  were  supposed  to  have  crossed 
the  St.  Johns  river.  No  one  could  sleep  and  either  lay  or 
sat  up  in  their  tent,  expecting  every  moment  to  be  buried 
beneath  the  groaning  canvas.  At  5  A.  M.  the  storm  abated 
and  all  hands  were  out  to  see  the  sights.  It  was  a  dismal 
scene  that  met  the  eye,  but  even  while  the  men  were  talk- 
ing of  the  night's  experience,  the  elements  began  returning 
in  all  their  fury;  this  time  every  blast  that  blew  discounted 
one  hundred  fold  anything  the  night  had  seen.  The  storm 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


79 


seemed  to  grow  fiercer  with  every  passing  moment;  the  tall 
pines  moaned  and  strained  their  fiber  as  their  tops  came 
bowing  to  the  ground,  the  flag-pole  snapped  and  falling 
struck  Sergeant  Major  Starr  across  the  back  a  glancing 
blow  that  saved  his  life.  One  after  the  other  the  tents  went 
down;  the  huge  assembly  tent  was  torn  in  shreds  as  the 
angry  wind  first  blew  it  down  and  then  played  so  fiercely 
underneath  it;  the  wet  soil  had  gathered  tight  around  the 
pegs,  but  the  houses  were  built  on  sand  and  true  to  proph- 
ecy fell.  There  was  no  waiting  on  orderlies  then,  but 
every  man's  hand  was  turned  to  save  his  property,  and, 
while  so  engaged  word  came  of  needed  help  at  the  Third 


STORM  SCENE  AT  THIRD  DIVISION  HOSPITAL. 

Division  hospital.  At  once  more  men  than  could  be  used 
left  their  tents  to  the  mercy  of  the  wind,  and  went  to 
render  heroic  service  in  caring  for  their  sick  comrades.  By 


8O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

reason  of  their  size  the  hospital  tents  were  harder  to  keep 
from  going  down,  but  they  were  held  in  place  by  main 
strength  at  the  ropes  while  firmer  fastenings  were  secured. 
Everything  in  camp  was  drenched  and  the  men  were  cold, 
tired  and  hungry.  Although  the  storm  was  abated  by 
i  p.  M. ,  a  strong  and  threatening  wind  blew  all  day,  and 
fearful  of  another  night  of  similar  experience,  the  colonel 
made  arrangements  with  the  Florida  Central  &  Peninsula 
railroad  to  furnish  passenger  coaches  for  the  comfort  of  the 
men  and  when  they  came  out  in  the  evening  many  of  the 
men  availed  themselves  of  this  opportunity  to  secure  a 
good  night's  rest  after  the  stormy  events  of  that  gloomy  but 
stirring  October  day. 

On  the  3rd  the  new  hospital  mentioned  on  another  page 
and  prompted  by  the  generous  impulse  of  Colonel  Dur- 
bin,  was  begun  and  certainly  did  prove  a  blessing  to  the 
men  who  so  quickly  exhausted  its  accommodations.  About 
this  time  a  skin  concern  sent  its  advance  agent  into  the 
camp  with  a  proposition  to  take  its  convalescents  and  men 
with  that  tired  feeling  "  down  the  St.  John's  river  for  an 
airing."  The  price  was  to  be  seventy-five  cents  per  man 
and  a  fine  clamchowder,  coffee  and  ham  sandwich  dinner 
free  for  every  man  who  went.  The  boat,  a  fair  vessel  with 
"  Crescent"  written  on  its  prow,  left  the  docks  at  Cum- 
mer's mill  at  9:30  o'clock  with  two  hundred  and  fifty  men 
of  the  described  character  on  board.  The  chaplain  in 
charge  gave  the  management  credit  for  honesty,  supposed 
the  wonderful  dinner  was  being  held  in  reserve  for  the 
men,  although  sandwiches  and  coffee  were  being  sold  with 
marvelous  rapidity  at  ten  cents  each,  and  when  dinner  time 
came  the  firm  was  very  sorry  but  everything  was  gone  but 
chowder,  some  sort  of  a  red  pepper  solution  through  which 
a  clam  may  possibly  have  crawled  on  his  pinchers  so  ele- 
vated that  the  real  thing  never  touched  the  water.  It  was 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  8 1 

also  evident  that  instead  of  taking  the  men  out  for  their 
health  they  were  taken  out  for  a  drunk,  as  beer  and  whisky 
were  being  sold  freely;  the  bar  was,  however,  ordered  closed 
and  a  guard  put  over  it.  The  boat  finally  arrived  at  Mayport 
an  old  stuck-in-the-sand  town  that  betrays  its  beautiful 
name,  where  there  was  plenty  of  whiskey  but  not  a  thing 
to  eat  but  dried  beef  and  crackers.  Lieutenant  Johnson 
told  the  management  the  opinion  of  honest  people  in  a  very 
emphatic  way,  and  the  vessel  was  boarded  for  return  and 
we  came  back  a  hungry,  tired  but  Wiser  crowd  with  only 
one  man  wet  outside  and  he  fell  off  the  dock  in  an  effort  to 
walk  the  gang  plank.  The  following  day  the  regiment  was 
rejoicing  in  pay  day  and  on  the  /th  the  colonel  was  in 
possession  of  communications  authorizing  him  to  have  his 
regiment  ready  to  move  to  Savannah,  from  which  point  it 
was  expected  embarkation  would  be  made  for  Cuba. 
Anywhere  to  get  away  from  Jacksonville.  Its  people  had 
been  kind -and  many  soldiers  will  always  remember  grate- 
fully their  introduction  into  the  families  and  treatment  by 
the  good  people  of  that  place,  but  they  were  anxious  to 
leave.  Just  what  the  Savannah  trip  meant  they  did  not 
know — grape-vines  were  sprouting — an  immediate  departure 
for  Cuba,  a  winters  stay  in  Georgia — getting  ready  for 
muster  out — but  news  of  such  a  definite  character  was 
enough  to  fill  the  men  with  new  life,  for  a  volunteer  hates 
stagnation  and  that  is  what  the  continued  camp  life  at 
Camp  Cuba  Libre  was,  and  so  the  men  waited  eagerly  for 
orders  to  pack. 

It  was  on  the  7th  that  the  post  exchange  was  opened 
for  business,  the  officer  in  charge  being  Lieutenant  Hanson 
G.  Freeman,  Company  M,  Lawrenceburg.  Sergeant  C. 
B.  Owens,  Company  G,  was  detailed  as  sergeant  in  charge 
and  manager.  Privates  Will  A.  Taylor,  Company  M,  and 
Otto  Beard,  Company  C,  were  detailed  as  clerks.  The 


82  HISTORY    OF    THE 

regiment  having  no  funds  to  purchase  goods  with,  the  first 
bill,  amounting  to  one  hundred  dollars,  was  bought  on  ten 
days'  time  but  was  paid  off  within  five  days  after  date  of 
purchase,  this  being  the  only  bill  contracted  for  and  not 
paid  upon  delivery  during  the  entire  existence  of  post 
exchange. 

The  line  of  goods  handled  were  always  of  the  choicest 
quality,  consisting  of  fruits  in  season,  canned  and  bottled 
goods,  cakes,  crackers,  fresh  pies,  nuts,  candies,  cigars, 
tobaccos,  smokers'  articles  in  general.  The  drinks  served 
being  soda  water,  lemonade,  ginger  ale  and  Hire's  root 
beer;  no  intoxicants  whatever  were  sold  or  handled  in  any 
way.  From  starting  out  with  an  original  invoice  of  one 
hundred  dollars,  the  stock  on  hand  at  different  times  would 
invoice  two  thousand  dollars.  Dividends  would  be  declared 
monthly  derived  from  the  profits  of  the  post  exchange  and 
distributed  to  the  different  companies  of  the  regiment,  the 
band,  non-commission  and  hospital  mess.  The' largest  dis- 
tribution for  one  month  amounted  to  eight  hundred  and 
sixty  dollars,  this  being  in  the  month  of  March  at  Camp 
Columbus,  Havana,  Cuba.  Lieutenant  Freeman  being  the 
regimental  commissary,  asked  to  be  relieved  as  officer  of 
post  exchange.  Lieutenant  Paul  Comstock  was  appointed 
January  15,  1899,  to  take  the  place  made  vacant  by  Lieuten- 
ant Freeman.  No  changes  were  made  in  the  force  employed. 
The  largest  day's  receipts  amounted  to  three  hundred  and 
fifteen  dollars.  Total  amount  of  cash  given  to  regiment 
in  the  six  months  and  ten  days  of  its  existence  amounted 
to  $2,460.00,  besides  other  donations  to  the  regiment 
amounting  to  about  seventy-five  dollars  being  made.  The 
loss  incurred  in  moving  camps  by  reason  of  theft  or  other- 
wise amounted  to  five  hundred  dollars. 

One  feature  of  the  business  in  Cuba  was  the  purchase 
of  oranges  in  bulk  by  the  wagon  load,  from  five  thousand  to 


84  HISTORY    OF    THE 

six  thousand  being  required  to  fill  one  of  our  army  wagons. 
The  wholesale  prices  of  this  luscious  fruit  ranged  from 
five  dollars  to  fourteen  dollars  per  thousand,  according  to 
quality  and  quantity  on  the  market.  The  first  month  in 
Cuba  the  post  exchange  handled  eighty  thousand  oranges. 

Great  credit  is  due  both  to  Sergeant  Owens  for  his 
careful  management  and  to  private  Will  Taylor  for  his 
long  and  faithful  service  as  clerk. 

The  first  target  practice  of  the  regiment  occurred  on 
October  8.  In  the  afternoon  the  regiment  went  to  the 
rifle  range  and  each  company  was  assigned  to  two  targets, 
and  supplied  with  a  thousand  rounds  of  cartridges.  Now 
was  the  time  to  put  in  practice  the  instructions  given  by 
that  officer  of  the  regular  army  who  gathered  the  commis- 
sioned and  non-commissioned  officers  of  the  regiment  in 
the  assembly  tent  and  told  them  how  to  shoot;  carefully 
calculating  the  distance,  the  resistance  of  the  air  and  the 
parabola  of  the  bullet  they  pulled  the  trigger;  the  old 
Springfields  banged  back  into  their  shoulders  with  a  ven- 
geance that  made  them  blue;  the  men  looked  for  the  red 
signals,  but  the  target  keepers  generally  forgot  to  wave 
them;  occasionally  a  red  sign  would  appear  and  describe 
now  a  horizontal  and  now  a  perpendicular  or  perchance  a 
circle  each  of  which  every  man  that  fired  declared  meant  a 
"bull's  eye."  The  regiment  returned  at  6:30  p.  M.,  and  a 
few  days  later  marched  again  to  the  range,  but  found  that 
an  order  had  been  issued  declaring  the  practice  stopped. 

The  drills  were  now  being  carried  out  at  greater 
length,  but  the  monotony  of  the  wearisome  "column 
right"  and  "  left  t front  into  line,"  "to  the  rear"  and 
"  right  forward  fours  right"  and  other  preliminary  move- 
ments was  broken  by  the  more  interesting  and  less  exhaust- 
ing skirmish  drill,  the  men  dodging  about  in  the  bushes, 
stooping  around  by  twos  and  fours,  and  little  groups  snap- 


CD 

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86  HISTORY    OF    THE 

ping  their  rifles  and  making  charges  on  an  unseen  enemy 
with  yells  that  would  scare  the  life  out  of  a  whole  tribe  of 
Sioux  Indians.  —  ..' 

f 

The  nth  of  the  month  Jgtaught  with  it  another  divi- 
sion review.  General  Hubrord,  the  division  commander, 
was  about  to  leave,  and  the  review  of  this  day  was  not  only 
his  last  but  it  was  the  last  time  before  leaving  Camp  Cuba 
Libre  that  the  regiment  was  to  be  reviewed  other  than  by 
itself,  and  when  it  was  over  the  men  fell  back  into  the  rou- 
tine of  the  life  to  which  they  were  by  this  time  so  well 
accustomed,  and  wondered  when  the  order  was  to  come  in 
definite  shape  for  the  move  to  Savannah;  this  order,  how- 
ever, was  delayed  on  account  of  the  coming  visit  of  the 
Washington  board  of  inspectors.  This  board  consisted  of 
Evan  P.  Howell,  of  Atlanta;  Charles  Denby,  of  Indiana; 
Colonel  James  A.  Sexton,  of  Illinois;  D.  C.  Oilman,  presi- 
dent of  Johns  Hopkins  University;  Dr.  W.  \V.  Keen,  of 
Philadelphia,  and  General  Grenville  M.  Dodge,  of  New 
York,  and  was  appointed  by  President  McKinley  to  investi- 
gate charges  pertaining  to  the  sanitary  conditions  of  the 
army.  The  party  arrived  at  noon  on  the  ijth,  and  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  the  camps  of  the  corps.  They  examined 
the  sinks,  and  the  baths,  and  the  bakeries  and  the  commis- 
sary stores,  and  thoroughly  inspected  the  condition  of 
every  corral,  the  report  returned  to  the  president  being  on 
the  whole  a  favorable  one. 

The  following  day,  at  regimental  review,  General 
Hubbard  was  present  and  witnessed  the  parade,  after 
which  the  regiment  marched  to  his  quarters,  and  forming 
in  column  of  masses  tendered  him  an  appropriate  farewell. 

The  closing  scenes  of  Camp  Cuba  Libre  were  enliv- 
ened by  many  an  evening  spent  around  the  "  camp  fire  " 
during  the  cool  October  nights  of  our  last  week  on  the 
banks  of  the  St.  John's  river.  The  men  of  the  various 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  87 

companies  were  wont  to  gather  round  a  blazing  fire  of  pine 
knots  and  while  away  the  long  evenings  with  song  and  jest, 
and  many  a  song  of  love  and  home  was  wafted  on  the  soft 
winds  that  blew  up  from  the  old  ocean.  This  was  an 
every  night  occurrence;  b..t  now  and  then  a  general 
"camp  fire"  would  be  held,  and  around  the  huge  fire  a 
great  circle  would  be  formed,  and  in  the  light  of  the  blaze 
the  best  talent  of  the  regiment  would  entertain  the  boys 
and  officers  till  "taps."  Amateur  boxers  donned  the 
gloves  and  administered  the  "solar  plexus,"  Rudy  gave 
his  "coon"  song  and  "nigger"  dance;  Jacobs  did  his 
"turn,"  and  Sergeant  Wolf  delighted  the  assembled  sol- 
diers with  his  sweet  voice.  Will  those  evenings  ever  be 
forgotten,  whiled  away  under  the  tall  graceful  pine  trees 
and  the  beautiful  night  skies  of  Florida?  They  were  the 
green  spots  in  the  Jacksonville  desert,  and  will  grow  dear 
as  the  years  go  by  "and  fond  recollections  present  them  to 
view. " 

On  the  2  ist  the  order  came  directing  the  First  Brigade, 
Second  Division,  to  which,  upon  the  corps  reorganiza- 
tion, the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  had  been 
assigned,  to  repair  to  Savannah  on  the  evening  of  October 
23,  Sunday,  of  course. 

On  the  night  of  this  same  day  just  after  "taps"  the 
camp  was  aroused  by  the  cry  of  fire;  the  guard  on  post 
near  the  railroad  platform  discovered  a  small  blaze  in  a 
heap  of  rubbish  in  one  of  the  abandoned  stands  near  the 
regiment;  he  promptly  gave  the  alarm  and  the  guard 
assisted  by  numbers  of  the  men  of  the  regiment  attempted 
to  save  the  adjoining  buildings  but  to  no  purpose  as  the 
light  dry  pine  burned  fiercely  and  the  buildings  were  soon 
consumed.  The  pine  trees  near  by  caught  fire  and  added 
luster  to  the  scene  and  all  the  night  around  us  was  made 
as  bright  as  the  day  while  dense  volumes  of  pitch  black 


88  HISTORY    OF    THE 

smoke  rolled  up  to  make  the  heavens  darker  above  us;  the 
whole  affair  made  a  very  respectable  bonfire.  The  22nd 
was  a  day  of  packing  such  as  the  day  before  our  departure 
from  Camp  Mount  had  witnessed  and  with  the  dawn  of  the 
23rd  the  business  of  getting  out  began.  At  9  o'clock  the 
signal  sounded  for  the  tents  to  fall  and  in  three  seconds 
every  tent  was  flat.  The  freight  was  in  and  near  the  camp 
and  by  6  o'clock  was  loaded  and  ready  to  leave  and  soon 
thereafter  the  men  were  ready  also  but  it  became  evident 
that  a  wait  was  in  store  for  the  regiment  and  as  darkness 
began  to  fall  camp  fires  were  lighted  and  every  one  tried  to 
make  themselves  as  comfortable  as  possible.  A  little  of 
this  would  have  sufficed  as  the  men  were  tired  and  supper- 
less  save  the  hardtack  and  such  cold  lunch  as  could  be  pro- 
cured. The  camp  ground  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty- 
first  presented  a  scene  that  night  that  will  be  one  of  the 
lingering  memories.  Every  company  had  from  three  to  four 
fires  as  the  nights  were  cold  and  all  must  be  warm.  There 
was  a  camp  fire  at  Major  Megrew's  quarters  and  one  where 
the  colonel's  tent  had  stood;  many  of  the  buildings  had 
been  reduced  to  lumber  for  transportation  but  plenty  were 
left  to  burn  and  everything  was  ignited;  the  kitchens  and 
mess  shacks  that  were  left  standing  were  fired  one  after  the 
other  and  the  very  sky  was  illumined  by  the  conflagration 
while  the  scene  was  enlivened  by  stirring  music  from  the 
band  and  then  the  men  began  to  stretch  themselves  around 
the  fire  to  wait  while  the  flames  dispelled  the  darkness  and 
silhouetted  their  resting  forms  on  the  sand  of  Florida  that 
was  soon  to  be  left  forever.  At  12:15  A-  M-  the  first  train 
came  in  and  the  first  section,  under  command  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Backus  and  composed  of  the  First  Battalion  and 
Companies  B  and  F  of  the  Second,  went  on  board 
and  started;  Major  Megrew  also  accompanied  this  section. 
The  rest  of  the  regiment  waited  till  2:30  A.  M.  before  their 


9O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

transportation  arrived  and  hungry  and  sleepy  were  soon 
following  the  others  on  their  way  to  the  new  camp  at 
Savannah. 

A  few  days  previous  to  our  departure  the  regiment  had 
been  assigned  to  its  new  position  in  the  Seventh  Army 
Corps,  which  had  on  the  2ist  been  reorganized  as  follows: 

CAVALRY   BRIGADE. 

Seventh  United  States  Cavalry. 
Eighth  United  States  Calvary. 

FIRST  DIVISION. 

FIRST  BRIGADE. 

First  Texas  Infantry. 
Second  Louisiana  Infantry. 
Third  Nebraska  Infantry. 

SECOND  BRIGADE. 

Ninth  Illinois  Infantry. 

Second  South  Carolina  Infantry. 

Fourth  Illinois  Infantry. 

SECOND  DIVISION. 

FIRST  BRIGADE. 

One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  Infantry. 
Second  Illinois  Infantry. 
First  North  Carolina  Infantry. 

SECOND  BRIGADE. 

Fourth  Virginia  Infantry. 
Forty-ninth  Iowa  Infantry. 
Sixth  Missouri  Infantry. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


CAMP    ONWARD. 

SAVANNAH,  October  24-December  12,  '98. 
When  the  first  section  arrived  at  Savannah  at  9  A.  M. 
the  next  morning  it  found  the  regimental  impedimenta  one 
hour  in  advance  and  Captain  West's  force  busily  engaged 
in  getting  the  horses  and  mules  out  on  "terra  firma. "  In 
the  unloading  of  the  remaining  freight  the  record  was 
broken.  The  quartermaster  and  commissary  supplies  were 
handled  with  the  accustomary  dispatch  but  the  transporta- 
tion department,  altogether  out  of  harmony  with  the  usual 
"  southern  hustle,"  got  in  a  hurry,  and  backing  the  cars  into 
the  freight  yard,  pitched  the  lumber,  floors,  tables,  bench- 
es and  boxes  into  a  confused,  tumbled,  jumbled-up  heap 
that  looked  like  it  had  been  struck  by  a  Kansas  cyclone  or 
a  Jacksonville  storm.  When  the  second  section  arrived 
one  and  one-half  hours  later,  like  the  first  it  was  served 
with  coffee  at  the  station  before  starting  for  camp.  As  the 
companies  marched  through  the  city  the  men  crowded  out 
of  their  stores  and  the  women  out  of  their  homes  and  while 
the  chambermaids  waved  sheets  or  pillowslips  from  the  sec- 
ond-story windows  the  daughters  used  their  handkerchiefs 
below  and  the  populace  on  the  sidewalk  cheered  the  boys 
from  Indiana  a  welcome  as  they  passed,  and  on  out  the 
Thunderbolt  road  they  marched  to  camp  and  stacked  arms 
on  the  site  which  was  to  be  their  "  stomping  ground  "  for 
the  next  seven  weeks;  this  time  the  regiment  was  less  fort- 
unate in  the  land  reserved  for  them;  it  was  low  and 


92  HISTORY    OF    THE 

swampy,  cut  through  by  ditches  and  altogether  undesirable 
for  a  regimental  camping  site;  objections  were  made  with- 
out avail  and  everybody  prepared  to  make  the  best  out  of 
it.  The  company  streets  had  all  been  staked  off  and  an 
old  dilapidated  board  and  wire  fence  that  ran  through 
the  length  of  Company  K  street  was  removed;  a  deep 
ravine  ran  along  the  right  of  the  regiment  and  a  large  ditch 
almost  through  the  center,  which  necessitated  two  thirds  of 
the  men  to  pass  what  they  called  "  over  Jordan  "  to  affili- 
ate with  members  of  the  First  Battalion;  the  swamp  pre- 
vented the  First  Battalion  line  officers'  tents  from  being 


HEADQUARTERS. 

pitched  in  their  accustomary  place  and  both  these  and  the 
battalion  commander's  tent  were  pitched  toward  the  road 
along  which  ran  the  staff  tents  with  the  exception  of  head- 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  93. 

quarters  which  were  more  comfortably  located  in  an  old 
house  situated  nearer  the  company  tents  and  which  has 
since  burned.  The  colonel's  tent  was  used  for  a  guard  house 
until  quarters  were  prepared,  and  later,  in  the  second  week 
of  November,  the  tents  occupied  by  the  staff  were  moved 
near  the  headquarters  house  and  in  a  row  with  the  Third 
Battalion  line  officers.  The  tents  were  pitched  without 
floors  and  a  couple  of  days  were  passed  before  sufficient 
material  could  be  rescued  from  the  debris  at  the  freight 
yards  to  furnish  them  with  that  much-needed  comfort  and 
the  tents  that  were  all  too  small  under  Jacksonville  condi- 
tions had  room  enough  and  to  spare  as  the  boys  hugged  up 
in  spoon  fashion  to  pass  the  night.  Camp  construction  be- 
gan at  once,  and  while  the  colored  men  of  chain  and  stripe 
cleaned  the  ditches  and  drained  the  camp  the  carpenters 
began  their  work  and  cook  shacks  sprang  up  along  the  rear 
as  fast  as  material  came  in  and  in  a  week  every  company 
cook  was  under  cover,  bridges  were  built  across  the  ditch- 
es, and  after  the  third  day  the  drills  were  on  again. 

On  the  2/th  the  battalions  marched  to  Thunderbolt, 
a  Coney  Island  sort  of  a  place;  some  of  the  companies  fell 
out  and  some  of  the  men  fell  in  to  a  well  stocked  establish- 
ment and  after  waiting  on  themselves  forgot  the  eighth  com- 
mandment and  told  the  men  to  "remember  the  Maine" 
for  his  pay;  the  battallions  marched  down  past  Bona- 
venture  and  returned  along  the  other  road  by  way  of  Dale 
Avenue  drive.  The  next  day  occurred  the  first  regimental 
formation  on  Georgian  soil;  the  review,  which  was  not  the 
best  ever  given  by  the  regiment,  was  witnessed  by  General 
Williston  from  his  tent  door. 

The  drills  began  on  the  29th  with  their  usual  regu- 
larity; a  couple  of  days  at  close  order  and  attention  was 
devoted  to  the  more  important  skirmish  drill.  A  most 
suitable  spot  for  extended  order  work  was  later  found  back  of 


94  HISTORY    OF    THE 

the  cemetery  that  lay  near  the  junction  of  the  road  and 
street  car  track,  and  here  in  the  underbrush  and  ravines 
and  around  the  old  Confederate  breastworks  the  officers 
found  ample  room  and  excellent  environment  for  scattering 
their  men  to  the  best  advantage  for  such  purpose.  The 
last  few  days  of  the  month  brought  to  the  line  officers  the 
usual  burdensome  necessity  of  getting  the  rolls  in  shape  for 
monthly  muster  and  the  new  month  came  in  with  the  sound 
of  hammer  and  saw  at  work  on  the  commissary,  bakery  and 
guard  house,  while  Anthony  Montani  took  his  sweater  and 
clarionet  and  other  articles  and  bid  us  all  a  fond  adieu. 

The  substantial  structure  that  rose  beyond  the  ditch  to 
the  regiment's  right  during  the  first  week  in  November  was 
prepared  for  the  commissary,  the  bakery  and  the  exchange, 
and  was  by  conceded  opinion  the  finest  arranged  building 
of  its  kind  in  the  corps. 

Sunday  was  the  6th,  and  this  day,  as  on  other  Sab- 
baths, the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  camp  looked  lonely 
by  contrast;  while  southern  regiments  were  swarming  with 
visitors  from  Savannah;  ours,  the  nearest  to  the  city,  was 
passed  by  with  a  glance  over  the  fence;  in  this  one  respect, 
like  the  man  who  fell  out  of  the  ballon,  we  simply  were  not 
in  it.  Why  this  apparent  thusness?  is  it  so  hard  to  forget? 
Let  us  be  charitable  and  say  they  were  unthoughtful,  but 
Ivy  said  the  young  ladies  didn't  know  what  they  were 
missing. 

The  next  day  brought  Major  Wright,  the  colored  pay- 
master. The  major  was  assisted  by  his  son,  also  colored, 
and  encountered  no  embarrassment  in  disposing  to  the 
officers  and  men  of  the  regiment  the  coin  which  the  gov- 
ernment had  seen  fit  to  entrust  to  his  care;  the  major 
remarked  of  his  respectful  reception. 

In  the  afternoon  General  Green,  accompanied  by 
other  distinguished  officers  of  the  army,  reviewed  the 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  95 

division.  The  six  regiments  marched  to  an  open  field 
across  the  way  from  the  Second  Division  hospital  and 
stood  in  column  of  masses  at  attention  for  about  thirty 
minutes  while  whole  regiments  of  armed  sand  flies  enjoyed 
an  undisturbed  picnic  pestering  the  patience  out  of  an 
army  of  men  to  whom  military  etiquette  forbade  interfer- 
ence, after  which  the  division  passed  in  review  before  the 
general,  in  whose  honor  it  was  held,  before  his  departure 
for  Cuba. 

On  November  1 1  General  Lee  arrived  at  Savannah 
from  his  home  in  Virginia,  where  he  had  been  in  attend- 
ance at  the  bedside  of  his  aged  mother  during  her  sickness, 
death  and  funeral,  and  which  had  necessitated  an  absence 
from  his  official  duties  for  a  period  of  several  weeks,  during 
which  time  the  command  of  the  corps  devolved  on  Gen- 
eral Keifer  of  the  First  Division.  The  general  was 
accompanied  to  Savannah  by  Governor  Tyler  and  a  dis- 
tinguished party  of  Virginians,  both  ladies  and  gentlemen. 
This  was  his  first  appearance  at  Savannah  since  the  arrival 
of  the  corps  at  that  point,  and  he  was  given  a  royal  wel- 
come both  by  the  citizens  of  that  beautiful  and  enterprising 
city  and  by  his  command.  He  immediately  established  his 
headquarters  at  the  DeSota  hotel  and  assumed  command 
of  the  corps.  One  of  his  first  official  acts  was  the  naming 
of  the  camp,  which  he  designated  "Camp  Onward"  in 
view  of  the  onward  march  to  Cuba. 

He  immediately  issued  an  order  for  a  review  of  the 
corps,  including  all  the  troops  under  his  command,  which 
took  place  the  following  day  in  the  city  of  Savannah  in 
what  is  known  as  Forsythe  Park  Extension,  and  was  wit- 
nessed by  thousands  of  citizens  of  Savannah  and  neighbor- 
ing cities  and  surrounding  country,  for  whom  it  was  a  gala 
occasion.  Most  of  these  people  had  never  seen  any  con- 
siderable body  of  troops  together  before,  and  were  enthusi- 


96  HISTORY    OF    THE 

astic  in  their  demonstrations  of  approval.  The  One  Hun- 
dred and  Sixty-first  Indiana  was  tendered  little  short  of  an 
ovation  upon  its  splendid  appearance;  its  full  companies, 
straight  lines  and  excellent  marching  being  commented  upon 
for  many  succeeding  days  by  its  enthusiastic  admirers,  who 
were  numbered  by  the  hundreds  in  the  city  of  Savannah; 
the  Press  of  the  city  was  also  effuse  in  its  praise  of  the 
work  of  the  regiment,  giving  it  special  mention  in  its 
account  of  the  review  and  commenting  at  length  upon  its 
excellent  appearance. 

The  succeeding  days  brought  with  them  the  usual  rou- 
tine of  camp  life,  unbroken  by  any  event  of  interest.  On 
Sunday,  I3th,  the  camp  site  was  inspected  by  a  surgical 
board;  complaints  of  a  sanitary  nature  had  been  made  from 
the  day  the  regiment  first  saw  the  grounds  and  were  about 
to  result  in  an  exchange  of  position  between  the  regiment, 
brigade  and  division  headquarters  which  would  have  fur- 
nished excellent  locations  of  sufficient  size  for  all,  but 
owing  to  the  speedy  departure  for  Cuba  the  inspecting 
board  advised  a  retention  of  positions  then  held.  Com- 
pany E  was  at  this  time  on  duty  at  the  rifle  range,  having 
been  detailed  there  the  9th  of  the  month  to  superintend 
the  target  practice  of  the  corps.  On  the  i6th  Companies 
A,  K,  M  and  L  went  to  the  range  for  practice,  the  other 
companies  having  been  there  the  day  before;  five  shots  at 
two  hundred  yards  and  five  at  three  hundred  were  allowed 
each  man,  and  the  time  was  spent  shooting  at  black  Span- 
iards on  boards,  with  results  showing  remarkable  improve- 
ments in  the  art  of  war  since  the  previous  like  experience 
at  Jacksonville. 

On  the  2 ist  the  quartermaster  unloaded  before  his 
store-house  twenty-four  large  boxes,  and  as  the  men 
lined  up  by  companies  each  one  received  and  was  charged 
with  a  $11.49  navy  blue  brass-button  caparisoned  over- 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  O,/" 

coat.  They  made  every  man  look  like  Napoleon,  but 
that  wasn't  what  they  were  for;  they  were  intended  to 
shield  the  men  from  those  cold  blasts  which  the  colonel 
told  them  next  day  at  parade  were  sweeping  over  Hoosier- 
dom  and  which  came  whizzing  over  the  cotton  belt  a  few1 
days  later  and  sent  the  men  shivering  to  their  tents  right 
glad  the  authority  was  wiser  than  they,  many  of  whom 
only  a  few  days  before  had  vigorously  protested  against  any 
such  needless  and  extravagant  expenditure.  The  greater 
part  of  the  drill  during  the  middle  portion  of  November 
was  battalion  extended  order. 

Nothing  of  note  occurred  until  the  24th,  for  which 
day  the  boys  had  been  anxiously  waiting  and  wondering 
what  good  thing  it  had  in  store  for  them.  The  day  was 
ushered  in  with  all  the  beauties  of  a  typical  autumn  day 
in  the  south,  and  was  given  up  wholly  to  pleasure.  At 
10  o'clock  in  the  assembly  tent  a  most  excellent  sermon 
was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Smith,  of  the  city;  this 
was  followed  at  the  noon  hour  by  elaborate  spreads  in- 
each  of  the  twelve  companies  of  the  regiment.  The 
ladies  of  Savannah  were  in  the  dinner  serving  business 
out  of  most  excellent  motive,  but  on  a  plan  hardly  savor- 
ing of  the  generosity  which  could  so  easily  have  come  from 
so  large  a  populace  so  greatly  benefited  by  the  presence  of 
so  great  a  number  of  soldiers;  we  were  to  raise  the  money 
and  they  were  to  serve  the  turkey;  but  not  out  of  any  crit- 
icism, but  simply  with  the  feeling  that  the  money  once 
raised  the  serving  would  be  a  comparatively  easy  and' 
pleasant  task,  while  the  good  ladies  were  already  over- 
burdened with  an  infinite  amount  of  the  same  thing,  the 
colonel  made  the  preparation  and  the  serving  of  the  dinner 
a  strictly  regimental  affair.  The  ladies  were  offended,  but 
a  due  explanation  once  more  bridged  the  chasm  between 
the  north  and  the  south,  and  sweet  harmony  was  restored. 


Q8  HISTORY    OF    THE 

The  boys  did  not  have  the  ladies  but  they  had  warm  turkey 
instead  and  plenty  of  it.  One  thousand  one  hundred 
pounds  of  turkey  were  furnished  by  Armour  &  Co.,  to  be 
accounted  for  in  surplus  meat.  There  were  ninety  gallons 
of  oysters  that  day;  there  were  cranberries  and  celery  and 
mince  pies  and  other  delicacies  which  appeal  to  the  inner 
man  and  which  go  hand  in  hand  with  the  day  thus  observed. 
For  once,  hardtack,  bacon  and  canned  beef  was  but  a 
memory  which  the  very  next  day  arose  to  haunt  those  who 
had  partaken  of  the  feast  in  the  shape  of  a  life-sized  reality 
and  to  head  off  any  tendencies  to  gout  by  reason  of  the 
gormandizing  of  the  boys  the  day  before.  Only  one  kick 
was  registered,  and  that  of  an  enlisted  man  who  having 
disposed  of  nine  pounds  of  turkey,  a  quart  of  cranberries, 
two  mince  pies  and  other  edibles  in  proportion  kicked  be- 
cause his  capacity  for  consumption  went  back  on  him  at 
time  so  inopportune,  but  who  was  reconciled  to  his  fate  on 
hearing  of  the  Thanksgiving  dinner  which  the  boys  in  the 
hospital  had:  poor  fellows  who  were  given  a  bit  of  turkey  to 
chew,  on  the  express  condition  of  spitting  it  out  just  when 
it  was  in  the  best  condition  to  swallow,  and  the  cruel  part 
about  it  was  that  some  one  was  there  to  see  that  they  did 
spit  it  out.  In  some  of  the  officers'  messes  dinner,  during 
which  service  the  table  fairly  groaned  under  its  load  of  good 
things,  was  postponed  until  evening  in  order,  as  some  of  the 
officers  asserted,  that  they  might  "eat  with  the  boys"  but 
which  knowing  ones  assert  they  did  by  reason  of  the  fact 
that  visions  of  two  good  dinners  were  in  sight.  The  afternoon 
was  given  over  to  a  diversity  of  amusements  upon  which 
the  boys  were  privileged  to  attend;  many  cheered  the  picked 
baseball  nine  of  our  regiment  while  it  secured  a  victory 
over  a  similarly  chosen  nine  from  the  First  North  Carolina 
on  the  parade  ground  of  our  regiment;  others  attended  the 
shooting  match  between  picked  teams  of  the  best  shots  from 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  99 

the  Seventh  Army  Corps  and  the  Savannah  Gun  Club  at  the 
rifle  range  of  the  latter  east  of  the  camp;  still  others  wit- 
ness the  football  game  in  which  an  eleven  from  the  Second 
Louisianas  contested  for  supremacy  with  the  First  Texas 
Knights  of  the  Gridiron  at  the  City  ball  park;  not  a  few  at- 
tended the  matinee  at  the  Savannah  Theater  or  saw  the 
Rough  Riders  in  their  exhibition  at  Thunderbolt. 

The  day  ended  most  auspiciously  in  the  evening  when 
some  of  the  ladies  of  Savannah  gave  an  elocutionary  and 
musical  entertainment  in  the  assembly  tent  at  which  some 
of  the  best  talent  in  the  city  appeared  in  the  various  num- 
bers, a  favor  highly  commendable  and  thoroughly  appre- 
ciated; and  thus  the  entire  day  was  one  joyous  occasion 
that  will  long  be  remembered  by  every  man  in  the  regi- 
ment. 

The  aforesaid  festivities  were  followed  on  November 
25th  by  a  sham  battle  between  the  two  brigades  of  the  Sec- 
ond Division;  the  First  Brigade  was  assigned  to  a  position 
behind  the  huge  earthworks  thrown  up  east  of  Savannah 
for  the  protection  of  the  city  at  the  time  of  Sherman's 
famous  march  to  the  sea;  the  works  in  question  remain 
intact  although  overgrown  to  a  considerable  extent  by  for- 
est trees  and  shrubbery  and  are  a  grim  reminder  of  the 
fruits  of  war  in  the  terrible  strife  of  '61  to  '65.  To  hold 
these  works  against  the  attack  of  the  Second  Brigade  was 
the  duty  assigned  to  the  First  Brigade;  previous  to  leaving 
camp  both  brigades  were  supplied  liberally  with  blank  cart- 
ridges; the  Second  Brigade  was  given  one  hour's  start  of  the 
First  in  which  to  afford  them  ample  time  to  reconnoiter  and 
decide  upon  their  mode  of  attack;  the  First  Brigade,  with 
band  playing  and  banners  unfurled  to  the  breeze  marched 
out  and  took  possession  of  the  earth  works  and  awaited  the 
report  of  the  scouts  sent  out  in  all  directions  to  locate,  if 
possible,  the  enemy  and  their  probable  mode  of  attack;  in 


IOO  HISTORY    OF    THE 

the  meantime  the  firing  line  was  established  and  supports 
and  reserves  held  in  readiness,  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty- 
first  Indiana  being  assigned  to  the  firing  line;  in  about  one 
hour  the  sounds  of  occasional  shots  about  one  and  one-half 
miles  to  our  front  indicated  that  our  scouts  had  been  dis- 
covered and  were  being  driven  in;  shortly  afterward  they 
could  be  distinguished  across  the  open  country  directly  to 
our  front  through  the  undergrowth  just  beyond,  hastily 
retreating,  closely  pressed  by  an  under  fire  of  the  advance 
guard  of  the  enemy;  re-inforcements  to  cover  their  retreat 
were  now  sent  out;  the  scouts  having  reached  the  edge  of 
the  open  space  between  the  enemy  and  the  earthworks, 
took  advantage  of  such  protection  as  the  country  afforded 
firing  as  they  came;  having  advanced  to  a  sufficient  distance 
to  be  no  longer  endangered  by  a  fire  from  the  earthworks, 
and  a  company  of  the  enemy  in  close  order  formatoin 
having  needlessly  exposed  itself  about  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  directly  to  our  front,  Major  Peterson,  of  the  Third 
Battalion  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana, 
which  occupied  the  center  of  the  works,  with  the  Second 
Illinois  on  our  extreme  right,  and  the  Carolinas  on  our  left, 
ordered  the  squads  of  his  battalion  on  the  firing  line  to  fire 
by  volley  on  the  company  thus  exposed  and  which  must 
necessarily  have  been  riddled  in  actual  engagement,  which 
opinion  the  commander  of  the  company  in  question  evi- 
dently shared,  for  he  immediately  changed  his  formation 
from  a  close  to  an  open  order;  re-inforcements  quickly  came 
up  and  the  enemy  continued  to  advance  under  heavy  fire 
which  now  became  general  on  both  sides;  they  were  prac- 
tically subdued  even  before  the  support  was  ordered  to 
the  firing  line,  and  with  the  result  that  much  of  the  reserve 
of  the  First  Brigade  did  not  fire  a  single  shot,  although  the 
entire  force  of  the  enemy  was  hurled  against  the  works; 
needless  to  assert  that  the  enemy  was  called  off  the  field 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  IOI 

by  the  judges  of  the  occasion,  competent  officials  of  the 
regular  army,  and  the  battle  awarded  to  the  First  Brigade 
as  having  thoroughly  and  effectively  protected  their 
entrenchments. 

During  the  succeeding  few  days  the  overcoats  which 
had  been  issued  a  week  previous  were  very  much  in 
demand,  the  temperature  having  fallen  very  perceptively, 
together  with  cold,  drizzling  rains,  accompanied  by  biting 
blasts,  which  heralded  the  coining  of  one  of  the  severest 
winters  known  in  the  south  and  throughout  the  states;  woe 
to  the  luckless  soldier  whose  finance  was  such  that  he  could 
not  possess  the  luxury  of  an  oil  stove;  during  the  day  he 
borrowed  a  warm-up  from  his  more  fortunate  comrade  or 
huddled  up  in  his  overcoat,  backed  up  against  a  tree  on  the 
windless  side  in  order  that  the  full  energy  of  the  sun's  rays 
might  be  spent  to  the  best  possible  advantage  in  heighten- 
ing the  temperature  of  his  anatomy;  darkness  overtaking 
him  he  huddled  around  a  convenient  camp  fire  in  the  com- 
pany street,  and  at  taps  crawled  between  blankets  and 
piled  upon  him  all  the  sundry  articles  in  his  possession, 
such  as  trowsers,  old  shoes,  socks,  collar  buttons  and  neck- 
ties, without  even  the  formality  of  removing  his  hat,  much 
less  any  other  article  of  his  wearing  apparel.  The  quarter- 
master's ability  to  supply  the  demand  for  blankets  was 
taxed  to  its  utmost  and  he  and  his  chief  clerk  were  the 
most  sought  after  individuals  in  camp. 

The  only  instance  of  note  to  mar  the  monotony  of  the 
period  thus  intervening  was  the  issuance  of  the  new  United 
States  magazine  rifle,  which  occurred  on  the  28th;  the  rifle 
in  question  includes  all  the  meritorious  points  of  the  Krag- 
Jorgensen,  together  with  the  improvements  adopted  by  the 
government;  the  men  were  highly  pleased  and  they  relin- 
quished with  pleasure  the  old  Springfields  with  which  they 
had  been  armed. 


IO2  HISTORY    OF    THE 

On  the  morning  of  the  3Oth  occurred  a  regimental  in- 
spection that  was  the  first  and  last  of  its  kind.  The  regi- 
ment was  lined  up  in  heavy  marching  order  and  with  open 
ranks  while  the  colonel  and  members  of  his  staff  with 
polished  boots  and  white  gloved  hands  marched  before 
them,  between  them  and  behind  them  while  the  colonel  re- 
minded them  of  neglected  points  of  military  toilet  and 
attire  and  the  officers  made  explanations  of  the  same  in 
writing  after  which  the  regiment  passed  in  review  and  mus- 
ter for  pay  began. 

On  the  sam'e  day  the  new  recruits  began  to  arrive. 
The  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  was  the  only 
regiment  granted  the  privilege  of  recruiting  at  so  late  a 
date,  which  partially  accounts  for  the  unusually  large  com- 
panies that  so  pleased  the  visitors  when  this  regiment 
passed  before  them  in  the  parades  and  reviews  down  in 
Cnba.  On  November  5th  Captain  Stott  was  sent  for  this 
purpose  to  Indianapolis,  the  mustering-out  place  of  the 
earlier  regiments;  he  found  only  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
ninth,  a  very  much  discouraged  lot  of  men  and  the  work 
of  recruiting  went  hard;  all  told  one  hundred  and  three 
men  were  secured,  the  larger  number  of  whom  left  Indian- 
apolis on  the  28th,  the  others  starting  a  few  days  later 
and  arriving  during  the  first  four  days  of  December.  Sixty- 
nine  of  those  who  arrived  on  the  3Oth  were  mustered  for 
pay  after  they  stood  for  a  short  time  in  line  before  the  old 
headquarters  building  and  listened  to  a  few  words  of  wel- 
come and  advice  from  their  new  colonel;  the  others  were 
mustered  on  arrival. 

The  officers  of  the  regiment  were  thus  kept  busy  dur- 
ing the  remaining  days  of  the  month  arming  the  troops  and 
in  the  preparation  of  the  pay  rolls  for  the  month  of  Novem- 
ber. On  the  morning  of  the  3Oth  regimental  review  pre- 
ceded the  muster  for  pay  and  in  the  evening  at  regimental 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  IO3 

parade  Major  M.  R.  Peterson,  of  the  Third  Battalion,  sev- 
ered his  official  connection  with  the  regiment,  his  resigna- 
tion having  been  accepted  by  the  department  at  Washing- 
ton that  he  might  resume  his  duties  in  the  regular  army. 
His  battalion  having  taken  the  assigned  place  on  the  parade 
ground,  Colonel  Durbin  requested  the  major  to  take  the 
position  of  honor  on  the  right  of  the  commanding  officer  of 
the  regiment,  who  then  proceeded  in  a  few  well-chosen 
words  to  express  the  regret  of  the  entire  command  at  los- 
ing such  an  efficient  and  painstaking  officer.  Major  Peter- 
son responded  feelingly,  expressing  his  regret  at  his  enforced 
leavetaking  and  his  best  wishes  for  the  future  welfare  of 
the  regiment;  the  regiment  having  passed  in  review  he 
assumed  command  of  his  battalion  and  in  the  battalion 
street  formally  took  leave  of  the  offices  and  men  of  his 
companies. 

On  the  following  evening  at  regimental  parade  Major 
Lee  M.  Olds,  past  captain  of  Company  A,  occupied  the 
post  of  honor  on  the  right  of  Colonel  Durbin,  who,  in  the 
presence  of  the  regiment,  formally  presented  the  new  major 
with  his  commission  issued  to  him  by  the  governor  of  Indiana 
after  which  he  reviewed  the  regiment.  It  was  the  next  day 
the  information  became  current  that  the  Second  Divis- 
ion was  to  start  in  a  few  days  for  Cuba  and  Colonel 
Durbin  was  notified  to  have  his  regiment  ready  to 
move  by  the  following  Tuesday.  During  the  forenoon 
of  the  5th  the  regiment  took  a  pleasant  march  to  Savan- 
nah's noted  "  City  of  the  dead."  Bonaventure  is  said 
to  be  one  of  the  most  beautiful  cemeteries  in  America  and 
the  history  and  romance  connected  with  it  make  it  doubly 
interesting;  the  estate,  first  owned  in  colonial  times  by  an 
English  nobleman,  was  sold  to  John  Mulryn,  whose  only 
daughter  was  given  in  marriage  to  Josiah  Tatnall  and  the 
union  was  typified  by  planting  those  now  aged  and  hoary 


J04 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


live-oaks  in  a  monogram  comprising  the  letters  "  M  "  and 
-<«T"  still  traceable  in  the  shape  of  the  sylvan  aisles  between 
the  stately  trees.  Josiah  Tatnall  was  a  great  soldier,  serv- 


ing in  the  wars  of  1812  and  of  1846  and  was  commander  of 
the  Merrimac  in  its  battle  with  the  Monitor.  He  became 
-governor  of  Georgia  and  lies  buried  to-day  in  Bonaventure 
near  the  spot  of  his  birth.  The  place  is  full  of  sacred  asso- 
ciations and  its  gigantic  trees,  hung  with  their  long  hoary 
moss  tresses,  seem  to  speak  of  mourning  and  of  weeping. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  Second  Division  was  to 
•move  so  soon,  an  order  for  the  last  corps  review  on  Amer- 
ican soil  previous  to  our  departure  was  issued  by  General 
«Lee.  December  6,  the  day  designated,  was  a  delightful 
one  for  the  occasion;  all  business  was  practically  suspended 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  10$ 

in  the  city  during  the  review,  and  the  residents  of  Savan- 
nah gathered  by  thousands  at  Forsythe,  the  park  extension, 
to  witness  the  imposing  spectacle.  On  this  occasion,  as  on 
November  12,  the  review  was  a  complete  success,  in -which 
the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  added  to  its  already  envi- 
able reputation,  again  securing  special  mention  in  the  press 
of  Savannah. 

Right  in  the  center  of  this  great  field  of  flashing  steel 
and  union  blue  was  the  statue  of  a  confederate  soldier  stand- 
ing erect  on  his  handsome  pedestal.  He  gave  no  sign  of 
interest  in  the  passing  of  so  many  thousands  of  soldiers; 
he  saw  the  stars  and  stripes  go  by,  but  did  not  uncover; 
he  watched  General  Lee  ride  past  on  his  handsome  gray 
charger,  but  did  not  bring  his  gun  from  parade  rest;  many 
a  soldier  wondered  what  he  thought  of  it  all,  but  we 
-venture  that  he  was  glad  to  see  the  Yankees  from  the  north 
and  the  sturdy  western  boys  marching  with  proud  step 
side  by  side  with  the  men  from  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas, 
and  in  it  saw  the  evidence  of  a  reunited  nation,  grand  and 
great,  and  rejoiced  with  them  in  the  mission  they  were 
going  to  accomplish. 

Upon  the  return  to  camp  the  initial  preparation  for 
departure  began,  as  the  arrival  of  the  transport  was  daily 
expected.  The  company  tents  were  to  be  left,  and  all 
officers'  tents  were  taken  with  one  exception.  Captain 
Guthrie  was  highly  elated  over  an  ingenious  contrivance 
for  heating  his  tent;  he  knew  what  destruction  a  lamp  had 
caused  before,  but  scorning  experience  he  passed  many  a 
•comfortable  night  while  his  less  ingenious  fellow  officers 
were  breathing  hard  to  warm  the  space  underneath  the 
covers.  The  midnight  hour  of  December  8  had  passed 
when  the  explosion  came  which  covered  the  captain  and 
-everything  inside  with  burning  oil.  Unlike  the  men  of 
another  fire  who  came  out  unsinged,  the  commander  of 


IO6  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Company  I  came  forth  bearing  the  marks  of  his  disaster, 
which  disappeared  in  a  day  or  so  and  left  him  as  good  as 
new,  but  the  tent  and  most  of  its  contents  never  went  to 
Cuba.  On  the  8th  Colonel  Durbin  assumed  command  of 
the  brigade.  The  Mobile  arrived  late  in  the  evening  of 
the  9th,  and  all  the  day  following  all  floors  and  building, 


PACKING   UP — CAMP  ONWARD. 

the  reduction  of  which  to  lumber  form  had  occupied  several 
days  previous,  were  hauled  to  the  wharf,  and  during  the 
forenoon  of  the  I2th  the  wagons  of  the  Forty-ninth  Iowa 
and  Fourth  Virginia,  which  were  at  the  regiment's  service, 
its  own  and  its  mules  having  been  put  aboard  the  Rou- 
mania,  bound  for  Cuba  on  the  &th,  hauled  the  regimental 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  IO/ 

baggage  to  the  docks,  and  shortly  after  the  noon  hour  on 
December  12  the  regiment  broke  camp,  and  at  i  P.  M.  the 
march  to  the  docks  began,  arriving  about  3  o'clock. 
Owing  to  the  ample  facilities  for  the  loading  of  both  troops 
and  baggage  on  the  transport  Mobile,  now  the  Sherman, 
there  was  little  delay  in  getting  all  on  board.  In  addition 
to  the  One  Hundred  an<i  Sixty-first  Indiana  there  was 
aboard  the  vessel  one  battalion  and  the  band  of  the  Second 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  one  or  two  companies  of  the 
signal  corps,  one  company  of  the  Fourth  Virginia  Volunteer 
Infantry,  the  Seventh  Army  Corps  provost  guard,  General 
Williston  with  a  portion  of  his  staff  and  many  other  officers 
and  men  of  various  detachments,  in  all  to  the  number  of 
probably  two  thousand  souls  with  baggage  and  supplies  in 
endless  quantities.  Colonel  Durbin  being  in  command  of 
the  troops,  and  Colonel  Backus  being  executive  officer  of 
the  boat,  Major  Megrew  was  in  command  of  the  regiment. 
All  men  and  officers  being  detained  on  board,  the  evening 
was  spent  in  conversation,  and  at  an  early  hour  all  were  in 
their  berths  and  bunks.  The  vessel  lay  alongside  the  dock 
until  morning,  and  at  7  A.  M.  on  the  morning  of  the  I3th 
the  tug  Marguarite  started  the  great  vessel  down  the 
river,  cutting  loose  at  9:30;  after  fifteen  minutes  more 
the  Estill  took  the  pilot  from  us  and  we  started  on  a  calm 
sea  towand  the  "  Pearl  of  the  Antilles." 

The  Mobile  is  an  English-built  vessel,  and  was  for- 
merly a  freighter  and  cattle  vessel.  She  was  purchased 
from  the  Atlantic  Transport  Company  by  the  United  States 
government  and  refitted  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  troops. 
She  is  a  twin-screw  steamer  capable  of  making  seventeen 
knots  an  hour.  The  dining-room  and  officers'  quarters  are 
roomy  and  well  furnished,  while  the  men  were  provided 
with  comfortable  beds  of  wire  springs  and  cotton  mattresses 
arranged  in  tiers  three  in  height.  The  Georgia  shores 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


IO9 


having  been  lost  to  view,  no  land  was  sighted  until  the 
following  morning.  At  1 1  o'clock  the  first  and  each  suc- 
ceeding day  inspection  of  quarters  was  held;  every  man 


"  MOBILE  " — OFF  FOR  CUBA. 

was  ordered  below  and  proper  inspection  made  as  to  clean- 
liness and  ventilation. 

Major  Smith,  of  the  First  North  Carolina,  assisted  by 
Major  Longstreet,  division  commissary  officer,  and  Lieu- 
tenant Welsh,  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana, 
was  in  charge  of  the  distribution  of  rations;  three  times  a  day 
the  men  were  served  with  warm  meals.  Details  from  each 
company  went  into  the  kitchen,  the  food  when  cooked  was 
placed  on  tables  and  the  men,  two  companies  at  a  time, 
filed  by  and  receiving  their  portion  ate  it  wherever  most 


IIO  HISTORY    OF    THE 

agreeable  within  limits  of  their  restriction,  The  two  thou- 
sand men  were  fed  in  about  forty-five  minutes. 

During  the  entire  next  day  the  vessel  steamed  along 
with  the  sandy  beaches  of  Florida  plainly  in  sight;  at  10:45 
A.  M.  we  passed  Palm  Beach  and  as  darkness  again  set  in 
we  were  nearing  the  southern  coast  of  the  peninsular  state; 
the  last  light-house  on  the  Florida  keys  was  sighted  at  9  p. 
M. ;  the  keys  were  passed  during  the  night  and  at  daybreak 
no  land  was  visible  until  about  8  o'clock  when  the 
shores  of  the  stricken  island  for  which  we  were  bound  could 
be  dimly  discerned  in  the  distance;  arriving  off  Havana  we 
cruised  in  the  waters  of  the  gulf  to  a  point  opposite  what 
was  afterward  the  site  of  our  camp,  waiting  for  a  pilot  to 
take  us  ashore  when  orders  were  received  from  General 
Green  directing  us  to  come  into  the  Havana  harbor  for  the 
purpose  of  disembarkation;  at  about  10  o'clock  the  Mobile 
entered  the  mouth  of  Havana  harbor  directly  under  the 
guns  of  the  famous  Morro. 

As  we  glided  along  through  the  narrow  entrance  to 
the  harbor,  the  frowning  guns  of  old  Morro  and  the 
antiquated  fortress,  Punta,  hovering  over  us,  as  it  were,  on 
either  side,  not  unlike  the  vultures  which  soared  in  count- 
less hundreds,  to  our  front,  to  our  rear,  above  us  and  in 
all  directions,  the  scene  was  absolutely  indescribable  and 
beggars  description.  Every  nook  and  corner  which  afforded 
standing  room  on  the  walls  of  Moro  Cubannas  or  the 
Punta  was  crowded  with  Spanish  soldiers  looking  down  on 
us,  silent  and  sullen.  Every  house-top,  balcony  or  win- 
dow, the  shores,  docks  and  vessels  in  the  harbor,  were 
thronged  with  multitudes  of  a  strange  looking  people  rep- 
resenting almost  every  nationality  of  the  earth,  a  condition 
existing  in  all  tropical  countries.  The  cheers  of  the  two 
thousand  of  Uncle  Sam's  boys  on  board  the  transport  who 
thronged  the  upper  decks  or  balanced  themselves  in  the 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


I  II 


rigging  of  the  vessel,  when  the  two  bands  on  the  ship  struck 
up  "  My  Country  'Tis  of  Thee"  was  answered  in  a  no  un- 
certain manner  by  the  foreigners  on  shore  and  ship. 


MORRO  CASTLE. 

Steaming  thus  slowly  down  the  harbor,  the  climax  was 
reached  when  we  hove  in  sight  of  the  wreck  of  the  Maine, 
the  broken  and  twisted  mass  of  iron,  visible  above  the  sur- 
face of  the  water,  illustrating  as  nothing  else  can  do  how 
over  two  hundred  of  our  brave  boys  met  death  and  now  lie 
at  the  bottom  of  the  harbor,  victims  of  the  treachery  of  an 
unscrupulous  foe.  Every  head  was  uncovered  and  not  a 
sound  was  uttered  as  the  band  struck  up  the  ' '  Star  Spangled 
Banner."  The  stillness  was  almost -oppressive,  as  all  eyes 
were  upon  what  was  once  the  pride  of  our  navy,  now  a 
worse  than  useless  mass  lying  deserted  off  a  foreign  coast,  a 


112  HISTORY    OF    THE 

monument,  as  it  were,  to  the  boys  who  lie  in  their  watery 
graves  beneath.  The  sublimity  of  the  occasion  and  its 
attendant  incidents  are  beyond  description.  Heads  were 
bowed  and  eyes  tear-stained  and  it  was  with  effort  that  the 
boys  on  board  controlled  the  emotions  surging  through 
their  hearts,  and  many  experienced  a  choking  sensation 
that  they  suppressed  with  difficulty.  As  if  to  add  to  the 
impressiveness  of  the  occasion,  the  U.  S.  Topeka  began 
firing  a  salute  of  thirteen  guns.  Passing  a  little  beyond 
the  charred  and  blackened  wreck,  we  cast  anchor  under 
direction  of  the  harbor  pilot;  this  we  had  scarcely  done 
when  the  transport  was  boarded  by  Lieutenant  Fitzhugh 
Lee,  Jr.,  bearing  messages  as  to  the  disposition  of  the 
troops  aboard.  A  few  minutes  later  our  corps  commander, 
Major-General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  accompanied  by  members  of 
his  staff,  in  a  steam  launch  of  one  of  the  American  battle 
ships  in  the  harbor,  hove  in  sight.  His  appearance  was 
the  signal  for  a  spontaneous  outburst  by  the  boys  aboard, 
who  made  the  ancient  harbor  sound  and  resound  with  their 
cheers  for  their  beloved  commander.  Shortly  after  the 
noonday  mess  had  been  served  we  struck  anchor  and 
proceeded  to  the  docks  where  we  lay  until  the  following 
Saturday  morning,  during  which  interval  the  immense 
cargo  of  supplies  and  baggage  had  been  unloaded  and  the 
disembarkation  of  the  troops  began,  much  to  the  pleasure  of 
the  boys,  who,  having  been  five  days  and  nights  aboard, 
had  grown  tired  of  the  transport,  the  strange  sights  and 
unfamiliar  scenes  about  them  and  were  anxious  to  go  ashore. 
The  regiment  had  been  preceded  by  a  detail  of  men 
in  charge  of  the  corral  contingent  and  other  regimental 
property.  On  the  7th  Lieutenant  Anheier,  by  order  of 
Colonel  Durbin,  selected  as  a  detail  of  men  to  accompany 
him  on  this  mission  Corporals  Imes,  Holdridge  and  Gor- 
man and  Privates  Stanley,  Reynolds  and  Hurst,  of  Com- 


<f 

114  HISTORY    OF    THE 

pany  I,  and  Private  McAdams,  of  Company  H.  Sergeant 
Owens,  of  Company  H,  Ralph  Robinson,  Corporal  Wilson 
and  Sam  Kahn  were  also  to  accompany  the  party.  They 
went  aboard  the  transport  Roumania  about  8  p.  M.  the 
evening  of  the  7th.  The  First  North  Carolina  were  on 
board.  Seven  regimental  horses  were  in  charge,  two 
ambulances,  twenty-seven  wagons  and  seventy-nine  mules. 
The  vessel  left  at  5  A.  M.  on  the  8th,  arriving  before  the 
harbor  the  night  of  the  loth,  and  waited  until  Spanish  law 
allowed  it  to  enter  after  6  A.  M.  the  next  morning.  By  6 
p.  M.  mules  and  wagons  were  unloaded  and  the  mules 
corraled  by  a  long  rope  stretched  down  a  wide  street. 

Those  nights  were  wild  ones  in  Havana — nights  of 
quarreling  and  wrangling  and  shooting,  and  it  was  the  first 
night  that  the  much-commented-upon  riot  occurred  at  the 
Hotel  Inglaterra  in  which  five  Cubans  were  killed.  By 
noon  of  the  next  day,  all  effects  unloaded,  the  wagon  train 
was  ready  to  start  for  the  ground  that  was  to  be  the  camp- 
ing site  for  the  Indiana  regiment.  A  guide  was  secured, 
and  under  a  hot  sun  the  journey  was  begun. 

The  camp  was  reached  about  4  P.  M.  on  the  I5th.  The 
wagons  were  used  to  bring  the  corps  headquarters  effects 
from  the  wharf  to  Buena  Vista. 

When  the  regiment  arrived  the  property  was  turned 
over  to  proper  authority  and  Lieutenant  Anheier  reported 
with  his  men  to  the  regiment. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


HAVANA    TO    CAMP    COLUMBIA. 

The  pen  seems  reluctant  to  write;  not  that  the  heat 
and  dust  and  final  fatigue  which  belong  to  the  experience 
of  this  never-to-be-forgotten  day,  are  things  hard  of  descrip- 
tion; such  are  common  place,  the  mere  mention  of  which 
suffices,  but  that  the  scenes  which  were  ours  to  witness: 
the  unbounded  enthusiasm,  the  unrestrained  manifestation 
of  welcome,  the  glad  shouts  of  happy-hearted  people  and 
the  feelings  which  stirred  the  soul  of  the  American  soldier, 
are  simply  indescribable. 

The  troops  were  in  command  of  Colonel  Durbin,-  who, 
with  his  staff  of  brigade  officers,  headed  the  moving  col- 
umn. The  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  was  in 
command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus,  while  Major  Hoi- 
man  G.  Puritan  commanded  the  Third  Battalion  of  the 
Second  Illinois,  which  followed  immediately  in  the  rear. 

Our  regiment  alone  would  have  been  the  largest  body 
of  volunteer  soldiers  that  had  yet  passed  through,  but  with 
the  above-mentioned  battalion  of  the  Second  Illinois  there 
were  in  all  about  fifteen  hundred  men  in  column  on  this 
memorable  occasion. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  band  of  thirty-two 
pieces,  ten  snare  drums,  four  fifes  and  eight  bugles,  marched 
in  its  accustomed  place  behind  the  regimental  staff.  The 
Illinois  Battalion  was  headed  by  their  regimental  band. 
The  great  column  began  to  move  at  8:50  A.  M.  It 
marched  through  one  or  two  minor  streets,  then  up  Cuba 


Il6  HISTORY    OF    THE 

street,  until  it  arrived  atRigla.one  of  the  principal  business 
streets  of  the  city;  through  this  street,  or  city  lane,  as  they  all 
might  be  more  properly  called,  by  reason  of  their  uncom- 
fortable narrowness,  the  column  passed  until  it  reached  the 
Prado;  passing  to  the  left  of  Parque  Central  it  moved  out 
Principe  Alfonso,  and  from  here  wound  its  dusty  way  for 
five  miles  more,  until  at  2:10  o'clock  we  were  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Quemados,  at  the  allotted  place  for  the  staking  once 
more  of  tents. 

It  was,  indeed,  a  triumphal  entry  and  passage  through 
the  city.  If  ever  there  was  tendered  a  more  enthusiastic 
reception  to  an  army  of  men  history  has  failed  to  record 
it.  From  its  beginning  to  a  point  far  beyond  the  city  lim- 
its, at  which  place  the  multitudes  were  turned  back  by  the 
Spanish  guards,  its  memorable  scenes  will  make  a  glorious 
chapter  in  the  history  of  that  people  and  in  our  own. 
Thus  far  in  our  experience  it  was  the  one  thing  that  paid 
every  soldier  of  us  a  thousand  times  and  more  for  his 
enlistment.  All  the  heat,  all  the  sickness  and  homesick- 
of  those  sultry  days  at  Jacksonville  were  forgotten  in  the 
midst  of  the  glad  excitement  and  grand  demonstration 
that  gathered  round  us  on  our  march. 

The  man  who  wanted  to  go  home  was  now  glad 
he  came  and  he  beheld  things  it  is  the  privilege  of  few  to 
see. 

Other  military  processions  have  been  longer;  many 
times  our  number  over  have  followed  behind  the  royal 
standard  of  an  Alexander,  a  Caesar,  or  a  Napoleon.  Our 
own  people  in  the  sixties  received  the  boys  in  blue  as  they 
"came  marching  home  again  "  with  a  joy  and  an  enthu- 
siasm that  knew  no  bounds  and  that  memorable  review  of 
May,  '65,  when  the  assembled  army  of  the  Union  marched 
through  the  Capital  city  of  our  nation  can  never  be  sur- 
passed for  glory,  or  grandeur,  or  the  accompanying  display 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  117 

of  a  rejoicing  people;  but  these  were  different  and  this  is 
the  first  instance  in  the  history  of  the  world  where  a  nation 
marched  its  army  into  a  land  it  had  saved  from  the  oppres- 
sion of  a  tyrannical  master.  These  people  were  therefore  not 
only  happy;  they  were  grateful  and  their  enthusiasm  for 
that  reason  the  more  uncontrollable;  was  therefore  the 
more  soul  stirring  for  every  one  who  witnessed  it. 

Every  one  was  in  high  spirits.  The  band  played  so 
well,  so  much  and  with  so  much  vigor  that  the  wonder  was 
they  had  enough  wind  to  reach  the  camp;  the  men  when  in 
cadence  step  marched  with  utmost  pride;  the  crowds 
shouted  and  even  the  horses  seemed  to  catch  the  enthu- 
siasm which  swayed  the  multitude  of  soldiers  and  of  people. 

It  was  a  proud  moment  for  the  American  soldier  when 
for  the  first  time  he  took  off  his  hat  to  his  own  beautiful 
flag  on  foreign  soil.  It  was  waved  from  a  balcony  on  our 
right  shortly  after  the  march  began,  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
that  made  the  people  free!  It  greeted  us  with  a  world  of 
meaning.  The  business  part  of  the  city  was  not  so  thor- 
oughly Cuban  as  the  residence  portion  and  as  our  moving 
column  filled  the  narrow  avenues  whose  only  virtue  is  that 
the  ladies  can  "shop"  from  one  side  to  the  other,  thereby 
getting  a  maximum  variety  of  prices  at  a  minimum  cost  of 
fatigue,  we  met  the  gaze  of  many  who  doubtless  wished  us 
safe  at  home,  or  worse. 

Now  and  then  an  American  flag  was  unfurled  from 
some  of  the  crowded  balconies  above  us,  but  as  the  regiment 
proceeded  the  enthusiasm  ran  higher  and  the  crowd  that 
kept  continually  pouring  in  from  all  sides  would  have  com- 
pletely choked  the  street,  had  such  a  thing  been  possible 
before  so  large  a  body  of  moving  men.  At  the  end  of 
Rigla  street  "halt  "  was  given  to  rest  the  men  and  to  clear 
an  entrance  for  the  regiment  into  the  Prado  and  from  this 
time  until  the  column  had  passed  the  Spanish  guard-line, 


Il8  HISTORY    OF    THE 

the  enthusiasm  and  excitement  grew  with  every  square  we 
marched. 

It  was  the  chief  delight  of  the  barefooted  Cuban  boys, 
of  the  swarthy  young  men  and  in  fact  of  the  entire  Cuban 
element  to  clear  the  way  of  any  obstructing  vehicle  whose 
driver  chanced  to  be  a  little  tardy  or  a  little  stubborn  in 
turning  into  the  side  street  to  give  the  regiment  its  needed 
room  for  passing. 

It  was  in  one  of  the  wider  streets  that  a  heavily  laden 
cart  was  encountered,  but  the  regiment  was  marching  in 
columns  of  platoons  and  it  was  evident  that  either  the  reg- 
iment must  turn  back  or  break  into  column  of  fours  or  the 
driver  must  right  about  face  and  wheel  to  the  rear.  The 
colonel  thought  it  would  be  easier  to  move  the  cart  than 
the  regiment  and  although  he  had  scarcely  been  on  the 
island  an  hour  he  did  not  experience  the  least  difficulty  in 
making  his  wishes  known;  the  jubilant  Cubans  charged  upon 
it  with  a  vengeance.  "  Fuera,  "  (get  out)  they  cried  and 
never  gave  the  driver  a  chance  to  do  it  but  with  an  amaz- 
ing economy  of  ceremony  they  siezed  the  concern  by  the 
bridle  and  by  the  wheels  and  hustled  the  whole  lumbering 
affair  into  a  side  street  in  a  way  not  calculated  to  leave  its 
occupants  in  the  sweetest  possible  humor;  and  they  were  not, 
for  they  were  Spanish  guards  on  a  cart  loaded  with  commis- 
sary supplies;  they  remonstrated  and  though  they  were 
recipients  of  some  vituperation  and  a  little  mud,  they  did 
not  resist  for  they  had  had  their  day  and  seemed  to  know 
it;  but  all  along  the  route  be  the  vehicle  a  Spaniard's  or  a 
Cuban's  it  must  needs  leave  the  passage  clear  and  woe 
betook  him  who  hesitated,  especially  if  he  were  a  Spaniard. 
The  Spanish  street  car  driver  had  a  long  gauntlet  to  run, 
but  it  was  nothing  worse  than  hisses  and  biting  sarcasm 
sprinkled  with  a  trifling  bit  of  mud  or  an  occasional  spray 
of  Cuban  saliva. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  IIQ 

As  the  regiment  took  up  its  course  through  Alfonso 
street  it  became  evident  at  once  that  we  were  to  pass 
through  a  residence  portion  of  the  city  occupied  by  the 
more  influential  class  of  Cubans.  The  houses,  dressed  in 
Cuba's  characteristic  colors  of  white,  light  blue  and  pink, 
presented  a  better  and  more  substantial  appearance, 
though  everywhere  was  the  iron-barred  windows  which 
gives  to  the  city  at  the  first  impression  the  suspicious  air 
of  a  huge  penitentiary  (and  makes  one  curious  to  know 
what  is  going  on  within).  And  now  the  display  of  stars 
and  stripes  and  the  Cuban  flag  grew  more  profuse.  They 
were  run  up  the  flag-staffs,  Old  Glory  always  above;  they 
waved  from  the  housetops,  they  hung  from  the  balconies, 
they  stretched  across  the  porches,  or,  better  still,  waved 
us  their  salute  from  the  hand  of  some  beautiful  senorita. 
The  wealthier  and  more  cultured  were  satisfied  to  crowd 
the  porches  and  balconies,  but  those  whom  the  world  has 
been  pleased  to  call  the  common  people  packed  the  streets 
from  the  buildings  to  each  side  of  the  moving  column. 
They  ran  before,  they  followed  behind,  they  pressed  along 
the  sides,  singing,  dancing  and  filling  the  air  with  "Viva 
Americano,"  "Viva  Cuba."  A  strange  conglomeration  of 
an  amalgamated  people;  some  with  skins  as  black  as  Plu- 
tonian night,  or  ebony,  if  that  is  blacker,  some  as  brown 
as  any  Malay,  and  some  as  fair  as  any  Caucasian  can  ever 
hope  to  be.  The  eyes  of  these  half-clad  people  sparkled 
with  unaccustomed  luster  and  delight.  They  would  kiss 
the  American  flag  and  shout  "Viva  McKinley,"  while 
occasionally  one  more  wrought  up  than  others  must  needs 
give  vent  to  his  feelings  in  some  emphatic  oration;  with 
wild  gesticulations  and  a  highly-strung  husky  voice,  he 
would  beat  his  uncovered  breast  and  shout  away  at  an 
angry  woman's  rate,  stamping  Spain  into  the  dust  beneath 
his  feet,  and  lauding  Americo  and  Cubano  to  the  skies;  at 


T2O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

least  we  thought  he  did,  for  this  much  we  understood:  that 
Spain  was  "  mucho  malo  "  and  America  and  Cuba 
41  mucho  bueno. " 

From  the  windows  and  doorways  and  porches  and 
balconies  and  steps  were  waved  beautiful  silken  flags, 
bright  colored  handkerchiefs  and  fancy  Castillian  fans, 
accompanied  by  the  nodding  heads  and  gracious  glances  of 
Cuba's  fairest  ladies.  We  were  all  acquainted  and  the 
formality  of  etiquette  was  forgotten,  and  if  any  soldier  was 
fortunate  enough  to  faint  or  fall  out  at  such  a  place  he 
was  immediately  envied  by  every  stalwart  man  in  ranks. 

Frequent  stops  were  made  to  rest  the  men  and  on  one 
occasion  the  halt  was  made  with  the  head  of  the  column 
before  what  was  apparently  the  residence  of  a  wealthy 
family.  Two  large  and  handsome  flags,  America's  and 
Cuba's,  were  crossed  before  the  steps  leading  to  its  en- 
trance. As  the  ladies  seized  the  stars  and  stripes  and 
waved  them  to  greet  us,  the  adjutant  requested  the  band  to 
play  "The  Star  Spangled  Banner."  At  the  first  note 
every  hat  was  removed  and  the  scene  that  followed  can 
never  be  forgotten.  Every  one  was  loaded  with  bouquets; 
the  bridles  of  the  horses  were  filled  with  roses  and  every 
mounted  officer  covered  with  flowers  as  fair  as  the  sun  ever 
shone  upon.  They  carried  us  the  coolest  water,  the  finest 
wines,  and  imported  brandy  and  the  choicest  of  Havana 
cigars.  Cheer  upon  cheer  filled  the  air  and  touched  the 
heavens  with  their  volume  while  the  band  played  their  soul 
stirring  music,  now  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first,  again 
the  Second  Illinois  and  sometimes  both.  As  the  column 
once  more  took  up  its  march  toward  its  destination  a  great 
number  who  had  followed  all  the  way  pushed  on  before, 
men  and  women  of  assorted  colors,  middle  aged  and  chil- 
dren; they  stripped  the  trees  of  their  long  green  branches 
and  holding  these  aloft  they  led  us  on  out  the  road  through 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  121 

Cerro,  chanting  some  fantastic  air  and  keeping  time  with 
their  feet  which  threw  them  all  into  a  strange  sort  of 
swinging  gait  which  continued  'till  they  reached  the  Span- 
ish guard  line,  where  falling  to  the  side  they  watched  the 
"big  soldiers"  pass  and  then  slowly  took  their  tired  selves 
back  to  their  humble  homes. 

The  regiment  had  now  reached  the  Spanish  barracks, 
about  six  miles  from  the  heart  of  the  city;  the  band  played 
and  the  Spanish  guard  turned  out  in  double  column  on 
either  side  of  the  road;  they  came  to  a  "  present  arms " 
while  we  marched  past  at  "  port  arms."  This  much  must 
be  said  for  the  Spanish  officers  that  they  treated  American 
soldiers  with  all  proper  respect  and  consideration,  saluting 
in  a  most  respectful  manner  when  it  was  proper  to  do 
so.  If  you  could  put  yourself  in  their  place  you  could 
better  appreciate  their  feelings  and  therefore  better  ap- 
preciate their  courtesy.  The  Spanish  soldiers  had  had  an 
experience  of  which  he  had  long  since  wearied;  the  poor 
unpaid  and  half  starved  fellow  had  grown  tired  of  chasing 
a  foe  who,  like  a  phantom,  always  evaded  him  while  all 
around  him  his  comrades  were  dying  by  the  score,  of  fever 
instead  of  falling  in  open,  honorable  battle,  and  when  the 
"boys  in  blue"  came  he  knew  what  all  the  world  knew, 
that  he  was  righting  a  hopeless  battle.  The  humblest  of 
them  were  reserved  and  respectful.  From  the  Spanish 
barracks  the  regiment  moved  silently  along  the  dusty  high- 
way through  Puentes  Grandes  and  Ceiba  out  to  its  destined 
camping  place  by  Quemados. 

High  up  on  the  right,  and  just  beyond  Cerro,  a  Spanish 
fortification  frowned  down  upon  us.  Around  it  was  the  in- 
genious and  formidable  barb  wire  obstruction,  with  a  depth 
of  eighteen  feet,  interspersed  with  posts  three  feet  high  and 
interwoven  with  wire;  it  made  a  difficult  and  almost  impos- 
ble  approach  for  the  enemy.  The  exposure  while  cutting 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


123 


it  and  the  certain  entanglement  consequent  upon  any 
attempt  to  pass  over  it  when  cut,  placed  the  approaching 
force  too  completely  at  the  mercy  of  its  foe.  With  the 


BARB   WIRE  DEFENSE. 

proper  entrenchment  behind,  it  is  hard  to  conceive  of  a 
better  device  for  holding  an  enemy  at  bay.  It  will  have  a 
part  in  the  fortifications  of  the  future. 

Now  and  then  along  the  roadside  and  dotted  over  the 
country,  there  came  in  view  the  notorious  Spanish  "block 
house,"  some  hexagonal  in  shape,  some  round,  the  majority 
square;  some  one,  some  two  stories  high;  masonry  work  of 
no  considerable  strength  whose  chief  and  indeed  valuable 
service  consists  in  affording  a  shelter  place  from  which  to 
fire.  So  many  were  they  that  it  was  impossible  for  any 
considerable  number  of  men  to  pass  through  the  country 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


without    coming    repeatedly    within    reach   of    their  firing 
distance. 


BLOCK  HOUSE. 

Nothing  further  of  interest  can  be  noted,  save  every- 
where the  beauty  and  fertility  of  the  country — the  stately 
palms,  the  bananas,  the  cocoas  and  other  products  of  the 
rich,  red  soil. 

At  Beuna  Vista  the  regiment  passed  the  Seventh  Army 
corps  headquarters,  and  in  twenty  minutes  the  First  North 
Carolina  and  the  Second  Illinois  saw  us  marching  by  to 
occupy  our  allotted  place  in  Camp  Columbia.  The  boys 
were  tired  and  glad  to  drop  down  for  a  good  rest.  The 
day's  march  was  over,  but  the  memory  of  it  will  ever  be 
fresh  in  the  mind  and  its  scenes  forever  live  before  the  eyes 
of  every  soldier  who  participated  in  it,  and  Old  Glory,  too, 
"will  always  have  a  deeper  meaning  and  a  richer  splendor 
because  of  the  experiences  of  that  day. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


CAMP    COLUMBIA. 

December  17,  '98-January  31,  '99. 

Upon  arrival  Colonel  Durbin  reported  the  same  and 
relinquished  the  command  of  all  troops  other  than  the  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  The 
companies  marched  each  to  their  places  as  designated  by 
an  officer  of  the  engineer  corps  and  threw  themselves  down 
for  a  rest.  The  regiment  had  been  given  what  seemed  to 
us  the  most  unlovely  spot  on  all  the  island,  but  around  us 
in  every  direction  was  a  panorama  of  wonderous  beauty; 
behind  us  the  green  fields  adorned  with  magnificent  palms 
stretched  a  mile  away  to  Quemados  and  Marianao,  whose 
red  tiled  roofs  would  have  been  visible  ten  times  as  far  away, 
and  twenty  miles  in  the  distancs,  over  nature  as  fair  as  God 
had  ever  made,  rising  in  clear  outline  against  the  sky  to  our 
left  were  the  northern  limits  of  the  Blanquizar  mountains. 
On  the  gentle  slope  to  our  right  were  pitched  the  tents  of 
the  Second  Illinois  and  the  First  North  Carolina  and  be- 
yond them  the  brigade  and  division  headquarters,  and  just 
before  us,  three  miles  that  looked  like  one,  lay  the  shining 
waters  of  the  Florida  straits  that  washed  the  shore  of  the 
island  and  lost  themselves  far  in  the  dim  distance  that  it 
gave  the  men  day  dreams  of  the  land  they  knew  the  wa- 
ters touched  far  away  in  the  north. 

It  was  the  slowest  camp  pitching  the  regiment  ever 
experienced,  first  because  the  men  had  nothing  to  pitch  and 
secondly  the  next  day  when  the  quartermaster's  supplies 


126  HISTORY    OF    THE 

did  come  the  boys  experienced  great  difficulty  in  driving 
the  wooden  pegs  into  the  stone  upon  which  the  camp  was 
stationed. 

It  was  one  collossal  rock  here  and  there  sticking  its 
face  above  the  soil,  but  never  sinking  more  than  six  inches 
below.  Some  one  had  blundered  in  the  loading  of  the  ves- 
sel; the  tent  poles  were  at  the  bottom  and  it  was  impossi- 
ble for  the  quartermaster  to  furnish  the  regiment  tents  the 
first  day,  and  that  night  the  boys  stuck  up  their  guns  and 
hung  them  with  their  ponchos,  threw  up  their  little  shelter 
tents  or,  in  good  old  patriarchial  way,  took  the  soft  side  of  a 
stone  for  a  pillow  and  slept  out  under  the  Cuban  skies. 
Some  of  the  officers  did  likewise  or  pitched  such  old  tents 
as  could  be  found,  and  night  closed  over  a  strange  scene, 
such  as  might  be  taken  for  an  army  resting  from  a  hot 
chase  of  a  retreating  enemy. 

Some  of  the  men  received  cots  for  this  first  night  and 
the  next  day  the  issue  was  completed;  this  was  a  new  lux- 
ury for  soldier  life  and  when  placed  in  the  large  tents,  also 
provided  for  the  first  time,  one  for  six  men,  gave  as  much 
comfort  as  a  soldier  could  reasonably  expect.  Quarter- 
master and  commissary  supplies  and  headquarter  stuff  were 
piled  in  a  seemingly  promiscuous  heap. 

The  following  day,  December  18,  was  spent  in  "im- 
proving the  land."  It  was  quarry  work — piles  of  stone 
were  raked  together  and  hauled  away,  a  stone  fence  demol- 
ished and  other  necessary  but  rocky  work  undertaken. 

At  the  close  of  the  day  tents  sufficient  to  shelter  the 
men  were  up;  the  headquarters  were  still  jumbled  together 
and  remained  so  for  a  week.  The  officers  ate  what  they 
could  procure  and  paid  outrageous  prices  for  it,  and  the 
Cuban  bread,  sweet-meat  and  orange  venders  were  in 
clover.  They  gathered  in  groups  around  the  camp,  a 
motley  set  of  people,  shoeless,  the  most  of  them  covered 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  I2/ 

with  straw  hats  and  linen  pants  and  a  part  of  a  shirt  and 
every  one  with  his  cuchillo  (knife)  hung  in  its  leather  case 
inside  his  pants  at  the  waist.  They  had  oranges  dumped 
on  the  ground,  four  for  five,  jelly  in  cakes  and  sweet  meats 
of  innumerable  variety  and  color;  they  jabbered  their 
mother  tongne  at  the  boys  and  taught  them  Spanish,  but 
the  most  that  most  of  us  learned  was  to  say  "quanto" 
and  get  skinned  a  little  in  the  change. 

Now  was  the  time  for  the  capturing  of  prizes  and  the 
gathering  of  relics;  the  Cuban  who  could  tell  the  biggest  lie 
was  the  man  who  made  the  sale;  later,  "machetes"  and 
"  mausers  "  became  ordinary  weapons  of  war  that  sold  for 
a  few  dollars  without  a  history,  but  during  those  early  days 
one  could  almost  see  the  blood  dripping  from  the  famous 
machete  and  hear  the  dying  yell  of  an  innumerable  host  of 
Spaniards  shot  down  by  this  or  that  rifle  as  they  were 
brought  near  the  camp  by  some  illustrious  patriot  "del 
ejercito  Cubano."  It  was  in  these  days  that  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Backus  made  his  wonderful  find  and  he  didn't  ask 
any  one  to  believe  his  story;  there  was  the  history  of  the 
rifle  written  under  his  own  eye  by  the  Cuban  himself,  and 
our  own  regimental  Cuba  should  read  it,  which  he  did,  and 
— "  never  mind  the  history!  " 

On  the  22d  the  headquarters  were  established  in  their 
proper  place,  but  an  objection  had  in  the  meantime  gone 
to  corps  headquarters  concerning  the  unfavorable  location 
of  the  camp,  and  on  December  22  General  Lee,  accompa- 
nied by  General  Williston,  rode  over  the  ground  and 
ordered  all  clearing  work  to  stop. 

For  a  few  days  the  men  seemed  to  wander  at  will  and 
began  to  explore  the  neighborhood;  but  reports  of  yellow 
fever  in  the  vicinity  caused  the  guard  lines  to  be  drawn 
very  close  and  no  one  was  allowed  to  leave  the  camp. 

Seven  miles  south  of  Camp  Columbia  are  the  Vento 


128  HISTORY    OF    THE 

springs,  beautiful  and  powerful,  which  supply  Havana  with 
the  purest  water  and  from  which  water  was  to  be  furnished 
the  Seventh  Army  Corps;  but  until  the  piping  work  was 
completed,  all  the  water  used  was  hauled  in  barrels  from 
a  spring  beyond  Mariano,  two  and  one-half  miles  away. 
There  was  consequently  at  first  a  scarcity  of  water.  One 
does  not  need  to  mention  it,  but  the  regiment  needed  a  bath; 
and  on  December  23  the  entire  regiment  marched  three  miles 
away  to  the  sea  coast,  near  Playa,  and  turned  its  coral  beach 
for  a  brief  time  into  a  big  bath  tub  for  twelve  hundred  men. 
Some  got  clean  and  some  got  something  else — they  got 
their  feet  filled  with  big  black  porcupine  bristles  that  stung 
and  caused  the  feet  to  smart  and  swell,  and  then  they  got 
to  ride  home  in  the  ambulance,  as  did  others  who  preferred 
to  ride  and  therefore  "didn't  feel  very  well." 

Christmas  was  near  at  hand — a  few  selections  by  the 
band — a  few  thoughts  homeward,  and  its  eve  had  gone. 
The  next  day  ushered  in  a  day  like  one  in  August  at 
home.  On  the  knoll  among  the  scattered  supplies  the 
chaplain  held  a  little  Christmas  service.  It  is  said  that 
the  staff  also  had  a  little  time  at  mess.  In  his  turn  each 
one  entertained  the  rest,  save  the  chaplain,  who  had  gone 
to  take  Christmas  dinner  with  one  of  the  companies  whose 
officers  had  generously  provided  their  men  with  turkey  and 
other  good  things.  The  staff  did  not  have  turkey — Lieu- 
tenant Wilson  had  purchased  one,  but  it  was  too  fat.  He 
could  thin  it  down  a  little  for  New  Year's  day,  so  he  made 
a  "  reconcentrado "  of  it,  and  shutting  it  up  in  a  pen 
began  his  cruel  process  of  starvation.  By  New  Year's  day 
he  had  a  dead  turkey,  and  the  staff  had  ham  for  dinner. 

On  Christmas  day  one  officer  and  five  men  from  each 
company  were  allowed  to  be  absent  from  camp  till  6  p.  M. 
The  same  allowance  was  made  in  other  regiments.  The 
wisdom  of  restricting  passes  is  at  once  apparent,  consider- 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  129 

ing  the  existence  of  three  armies  whose  soldiers  might  come 
in  conflict,  and  the  serious  consequence  that  might  result 
from  disorderly  conduct. 

Considering  the  American  pretense  and  what  the 
nation  stands  for  before  the  world,  and  the  consequent 
example  of  sobriety  and  manliness  its  soldiers  should  place 
before  a  people  whom  we  have  dared  to  call  less  civilized 
than  ourselves,  it  is  deplorable  that  even  officers  should  so 
conduct  themselves  in  abuse  of  the  above  privileges  that 
there  must  needs  come  down  the  evening  of  the  same  day 
an  order  to  the  effect  that  owing  to  the  disgraceful  conduct 
of  some  of  the  Seventh  Army  Corps  officers  no  more  passes 
would  be  issued.  It  is  not  an  attempt  at  self-justification, 
but  due  the  officers  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  to 
say  that  investigation  exonerated  those  absent  from  camp 
from  any  suspicion  that  the  above  charge  rested  upon 
them.  A  drunken  officer  is  less  of  a  man  because  of  his 
straps. 

It  had  now  been  decided  to  turn  the  camp  about, 
practically  end  for  end.  Such  a  move  necessitated  a  like 
change  for  appearance  sake  of  the  two  other  regiments  in 
the  brigade,  but  when  the  change  was  made  the  entire 
brigade  not  only  presented  a  better  appearance,  but  occu- 
pied a  better  and  more  convenient  position.  Six  com- 
panies moved  on  the  28th,  the  remaining  and  the  head- 
quarters on  the  29th.  The  3ist  brought  the  last  day  of 
the  year  and  the  uppermost  thought  was  the  long  march 
on  the  morrow.  In  the  evening  there  was  music  and  a 
"  Hoosier  "  watch  party,  and  as  the  old  year  died  "taps'" 
were  sounded  with  tine  expression  by  musicians  Williams 
and  Hays,  and  as  the  last  note  died  away  in  the  stillness 
the  band  struck  up  the  national  tune  "America,"  then 
they  played  "  The  Star  Spangled  Banner"  and  "On  the 
Banks  of  the  Wabash  Far  Away." 


I3O  HISTORY    OF    THE 


"New  Year's  in  Cuba"  will  bring  a  flood  of  memories 
to  the  men  of  the  regiment.  At  8:30  o'clock  the  companies 
were  formed  ready  for  the  long  march  to  Havana  and  re- 
turn. Every  soldier  wanted  to  go.  Many  offered  to  do 
double  tours  of  guard  duty  for  the  privilege  of  changing 
with  one  of  those  going.  Off  up  through  the  camp  of  the 
Second  Illinois  the  column  moved,  headed  by  Colonel  Dur- 
bin  with  his  staff  and  the  band.  Out  from  between  the 
rows  of  great  royal  palms  onto  the  highway  the  boys 
swung  into  line,  happy  and  proud  to  be  a  part  of  the  day's 
ceremonies  that  marks  such  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the 
beautiful  island.  There  was  little  to  be  said  on  the  way 
for  the  first  two  or  three  miles. 

Probably  there  were  thoughts  of  those  so  far  away  and 
of  other  New  Year's  days.  All  along  the  highlands  to  the 
cliffs  overlooking  the  gulf,  now  down  into  the  little  green 
valleys,  now  up  looking  down  into  them,  with  a  brisk  salt 
breeze  fanning  them,  the  men  of  the  regiment  kept  up  the 
march  with  infrequent  halts  and  short  rests. 

Down  the  hill  roads  to  the  coast  line  the  long  line  led 
into  Vedado,  the  aristocratic  suburb  of  Havana.  Here  the 
first  long  rest  was  made  almost  four  miles  from  the  home 
camp.  Along  the  way  on  every  little  Cuban  cottage  the 
Cuban  and  American  flags  had  been  displayed,  but  at 
Vedado  the  decorations  were  on  a  larger  scale.  Entire 
fronts  of  buildings  were  covered  with  the  flags  intertwined 
with  green.  Black  eyed  senoritas  in  stiff  white  skirts  and 
fresh  ribbons  came  out  from  the  vine  covered  verandas  and 
proceeded  to  capture  many  hearts  with  their  "Viva  los 
Americanos."  A  fifteen  days'  life  in  Cuba  had  not  given 
the  men  a  very  complete  knowledge  of  the  Spanish  lan- 
guage, but  the  pretty  girls  were  assured  that  they  were 
"  mucha  buena." 

From  Vedado  to  the  city  all  the  way  is  guarded  by  the 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  131 

old  Spanish  forts,  which  were  occupied  by  American  troops 
and  American  gunners.  At  1 1 145  o'clock  the  pontoon 
bridge  was  crossed  and  the  regiment  was  in  Havana.  Off 
across  the  narrow  bay  Morro  stood  silent  and  gray,  beating 
back  the  waves  that  forever  surge  at  her  feet.  Above  the 
stone  walls  floated  the  yellow  and  red  emblem  of  the 
defeated  nation,  so  soon  to  be  drawn  down  forever. 

As  the  time  drew  nearer  to  the  noon  hour  the  excite- 
ment among  the  people  increased  until  they  were  running 
about  the  streets  crying,  shouting,  laughing  and  singing. 
Dozens  of  bombs,  exploding  high  in  the  air,  added  to  the 
noise  and  confusion.  There  was  an  intense  feeling.  The 
hour  they  had  so  long  prayed  for  and  fought  for  was  almost 
at  hand.  They  knew  that  at  that  same  minute  the  hated 
Spanish  were  leaving  the  governor-general's  palace  and 
that  the  Spanish  guards  were  being  relieved  for  all  time  in 
the  Morro.  Their  fair  land,  "The  Queen  of  the  Antilles," 
was  about  to  be  taken  from  the  hand  of  the  oppressor. 

Twelve  o'clock! 

Boom!  The  first  gun  from  the  Morro  ever  fired  in 
honor  of  the  American  flag. 

And  the  men  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first 
stood  on  the  shore  opposite  and  watched  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  ascend  over  that  stronghold  and  joined  in  the  cheer 
that  went  up  with  a  strong  Hoosier  yell  that  was  probably 
heard  at  the  fort. 

Just  by  the  regiment  the  bells  of  the  Catholic  hos- 
pital, San  Lozaro,  pealed  forth  clear  and  sweet,  rung  by 
the  black-robed  Sisters,  heralding  the  new  day  in  Cuban 
history.  Tears  they  shed,  maybe  in  sympathy  for  the 
mother  land,  maybe  for  joy.  Farther  down  the  street,  at 
the  palace,  the  old  white-haired  general,  Castellanos,  of 
Spain,  was  handing  over  to  General  Brooke  the  keys  of 
the  mansion,  symbolic  of  the  final  evacuation  of  the  island. 


132  HISTORY    OF    THE 

The  scene  at  the  palace  was  simple  and  pathetic;  the 
officers  who  were  to  take  charge  of  the  various  depart- 
ments were  instructed  by  Brigadier-General  Clous,  the 
master  of  ceremonies  of  the  day,  as  follows:  "  On  the  fir- 
ing of  the  last  gun  of  the  first  twenty-one  at  noon,  you  are 
to  go  to  the  place  assigned  you  and  demand  possession  of 
the  office  in  the  name  of  the  United  States."  At  it:io 
Major-General  Wade  and  Major-General  Butler,  of  the 
American  evacuation  commission,  arrived;  at  11:30  Major- 
General  John  R.  Brooke,  governor  of  Cuba,  and  Major- 
General  Ludlow,  governor  of  the  city  of  Havana, came  and 
at  11:45  Major-General  Lee  joined  them.  Just  a  few 
minutes  before  12  Captain-General  Castellanos  suddenly 
entered  the  salon  and  after  greeting  General  Brooke  and 
others,  moved  toward  a  group  of  Cuban  generals  and  on 
being  introduced  to  General  Rodriguez  shook  both  his 
hands  according  to  Spanish  custom,  and  said:  "  We  have 
been  enemies,  but  I  respect  you  for  your  correct  attitudes 
and  opinions.  I  have  pleasure  in  shaking  your  hand." 
General  Rodriguez,  replied:  "  I  thank  you,  General;  I  feel 
sorry  for  the  Spanish  army  which  has  defended  the  banner 
it  was  sworn  to  defend.  I  also  have  pleasure  in  shaking 
your  hands."  At  this  moment  the  big  guns  began  to  roar 
the  national  salute  and  at  once  General  Castellanos, 
addressing  General  Wade,  who  was  president  of  the  Amer- 
ican Commission,  the  words  having  been  placed  on  manu- 
script, said:  "Gentlemen:  In  compliance  with  the  treaty 
of  Paris,  the  agreement  of  the  military  commissioners  of 
the  island,  and  the  orders  of  my  King,  at  this  moment  of 
noon,  January  I,  1899,  there  ceases  in  Cuba  Spanish 
sovereignty  and  begins  that  of  the  United  States.  In  con- 
sequence, I  declare  you  in  command  of  the  island,  with  the 
object  that  you  may  exercise  it,  declaring  to  you  that  I 
will  be  first  in  respecting  it.  Peace  having  been  established 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  133 

between  our  respective  governments,  I  promise  you  to  give 
all  due  respect  to  the  United  States  government,  and  I  hope 
that  the  good  relations  already  existing  between  our  armies, 
will  continue  until  the  termination  of  the  evacuation  of 
those  under  my  orders  in  this  territory." 

The  address  having  been  translated,  General  Wade 
handed  it  to  General  Brooke,  saying  "  I  transfer  this 
command  to  you, "  and  General  Brooke  said:  "  I  accept 
this  great  trust  in  behalf  of  the  government  and  President 
of  the  United  States,  and  (turning  to  General  Castellanos) 
I  wish  you  and  the  gallant  gentlemen  with  you  a  pleasant 
return  to  your  native  land.  May  prosperity  attend  you  and 
all  who  are  with  you."  General  Castellanos  immediately 
retired  from  the  throne  room  and  turning  to  his  officers 
said,  with  tears  in  his  eyes:  "Gentlemen,  I  have  been  in 
more  battles  than  I  have  hairs  on  my  head,  and  my  self- 
possession  has  never  failed  me  until  to-day.  Adieu,  gentle- 
men, adieu."  The  old  man  bowed  his  head  as  he  walked 
down  the  stairway  and  out  into  the  plaza.  Some  Ameri- 
can ladies  waved  their  handkerchiefs  to  him  and  bowing  he 
kissed  his  hands  to  them  and  accompanied  by  General 
Clous  and  by  his  own  staff  he  started  toward  the  wharf;  all 
the  way  he  was  hooted  and  jeered  by  the  Cubans  and  there 
was  no  Spanish  soldiers  to  do  his  bidding  had  he  cared  to 
notice  them,  but  those  of  better  hearts  looked  quietly  on 
and  pitied  the  faithful  old  servant  of  his  country.  At  the 
wharf  he  thanked  General  Clous  and  as  he  stepped  into  his 
launch  that  was  to  take  him  to  his  vessel  he  wept  again 
while  the  docks  were  crowded  with  Spaniards,  men  and 
women,  all  dressed  in  black,  weeping  with  him.  Not  a 
shout  was  raised,  not  a  handkerchief  was  waved,  but  men 
and  women  wept  together. 

It  was  almost  I  o'clock  when  the  regiment  was  ordered 
forward.  The  review  of  the  American  troops  by  General 


134  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Lee,  General  Brooke,  General  Ludlow  with  the  staff  of 
each,  drawn  up  in  front  of  the  Ingleterra,  was  in  prog- 
ress and  the  Indianians  marched  onto  the  Prado,  ready  to 
carry  off  the  honors.  The  regiment  was  formed  in  pla- 
toons and  there  were-a-  third  more  in  the  regiment  than  in 
any  other  organization  that  passed  the  stand.  Cheers  that 
were  hearty  before  increased  two-fold  when  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Sixty-first  passed. 

Down  the  Prado  they  marched,  every  man  a  soldier. 
On  to  Reina  street  the  column  was  directed  and  there  it 
was  halted  for  the  noon-day  lunch.  The  men  fell  out  of 
ranks  and  for  an  hour  and  a  half  the  neighborhood  was 
filled  with  soldiers,  visiting  scenes  they  had  read  of,  maybe, 
but  had  never  seen.  Then  on  home,  back  to  a  hot  supper 
and  cots  and  blankets  that  never  seemed  more  comforting 
and  more  comfortable,  and  the  great  day  was  over. 

Cuba  was  out  of  the  power  of  the  Spanish. 

On  the  morning  of  January  2,  the  boys  turned  out  of 
bed  and  discovered  their  legs  were  a  little  stiff  from  the 
previous  day's  hike;  it  was  a  day  of  well-deserved  rest,  for 
all  drills  were  suspended  and  the  men  spent  the  day  loung- 
ing about  camp  making  "pipes"  and  "grape  vines"  on 
the  next  move. 

The  month  of  January,  apart  from  New  Year's  day  and 
the  3  ist,  was  in  one  respect  an  uneventful  one.  There 
were  no  marches,  no  reviews  and  only  one  battle,  on  the 
6th  in  which  the  'score  was  fourteen  to  three  for  the 
Cubans,  seventy  dollars  gate  receipts  and  that  sore  feeling 
for  the  boys.  The  panacea  for  all  ills  came  next  day  when 
Major  Havens  visited  the  regiment  with  the  good  govern- 
ment's crisp  paper  and  yellow  gold. 

The  boys  were  determined, however.to  hold  their  good 
record  at  the  drill  and  on  the  9th  began  to  drill  twice  a 
day,  from  8:30  to  10  A.  M.  and  from  3:30  to  4:30  P.  M. 


136 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


This  was  immediately  followed  by  regimental  parade;  it 
was  quick  time  and  if  the  first  sergeant  does  not  remember, 
the  men  do;  it  was  "company  dismissed" — get  ready  for 
parade  "  !!  and  as  quick  as  it  takes  to  tell  it  the  men  were 
on  their  way  to  "  pass  in  review,  take  full  distance,  guide 
right,  harsh."  !!!! 

But  there  were  some  things  which  made  even  January 
an  important  month  historically,  and  these  are  found  in 
the  camp  improvements,  the  outcome  of  that  spirit  which 
has  always  by  conceded  opinion  made  the  One  Hundred 
and  Sixty-first  Indiana  camp  the  model  one. 

The  loth  of  the  month  saw  the  erection  of  the  first 
company  kitchen  and  for  a  week  of  time  incessant  ham- 
mering sounded  an  invitation  for  the  company  cooks  to 


SOUPEE  !    SOUPEE  !    SOUP  !    SOUP  ! 

leave  the  sun  and  the  wind  and  the  dust  and  the  tempora- 
rily erected   "  flys  "  and  come  into   a  commodious  shack 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


137 


which  sprung  up  along  the   regimental  rear,  one   for  each 
company,  in  a  line  as  straight  as  human  science  could  make 


THE  WAY  MOTHER  USED  TO  Do. 

it.  At  the  same  time  the  headquarters  went  down  one 
tent  a  day,  and  "  Dude  Allen  "  with  his  force  constructed 
those  elevated  floors  and  tent  skeletons  which  made  that 
row  look  like  the  street  of  a  deserted  village  when  we  had 
gone. 

As  fast  as  lumber  arrived,  and  God  and  the  govern- 
ment knows  it  cams  slow  enough  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
the  quartermaster  had  receipted  for  sixty  thousand  feet  in 
the  states  which  went  into  government  buildings  and  the 
regiment  consequently  had  to  wait,  but  it  came  by  degrees, 
and  as  it  did  come  was  hurriedly  worked  up  into  floors  for 
the  company  tents,  but  all  tents  however  were  not  floored 
until  the  middle  of  March,  when  those  of  the  home  bound 
Maine  artillery  were  brought  to  us  for  that  purpose.  In 
the  meantime  the  grounds  throughout  and  in  tb.3  imme- 


138 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


diate    vicinity    of    the    regiment    were     being    thoroughly 
policed;  every  shrub  and  root  grubbed  up,  and  every  loose 


and  protruding  stone  removed  till  the  whole  place  was  as 
neat  and  clean  as  human  hands  and  labor  could  make  it. 
Then  came  the  "  ornamental  period  "  when  companies 
vied  with  each  other  in  making  their  quarters  attractive. 
Had  there  been  any  Spaniards  to  fight  all  this  camp  embel- 
lishment would  have  been  unknown,  but  it  is  certainly  a 
great  credit  to  any  regiment  and  indicative  of  an  enter- 
prising spirit,  the  essence  of  which  will  make  good  soldiers 
under  any  circumstances,  that  a  portion  of  the  men's  time 
was  spent  in  an  endeavor  toward  attractiveness.  Great 
loads  of  sand  were  hauled  from  Playa  beach  and  along 
headquarters,  around  battalion  quarters,  along  the  cap- 
tains' and  the  company  streets  sand  walks  were  made  and 


o 
p 

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> 


I4O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

bounded  by  uniform  stones  covered  over  with  whitewash. 
At  the  head  of  each  company  appropriate  designs.were  made 
by  scratching  up  the  red  soil,  by  lettering  and  designing 
upon  it  by  small  bits  of  white  limestone  blasted  from  the 
hard  earth  by  our  Cuban  sink  diggers,  who  from  the  first 
day  startled  the  camp  by  their  cannon-like  explosions  and 
filled  the  air  with  flying  stones  which  came  hailing  down 
ofttimes  all  too  near  for  comfort  or  appreciation.  On  a 
certain  Saturday  (2ist)  a  prize  of  $5.00  offered  by  the 
officer  of  the  day  for  the  neatest  interior  and  surroundings 
was  awarded  to  Corporal  Joseph  L.  Luse,  privates  Frank  E. 
Oaks,  B.  S.  Kellenberger,  Robert  E.  Ketner,  Ralph  Mc- 
Callie  and  Elbert  M.  Blake,  who  occupied  tent  No.  10  in 
Company  K. 

The  band  quarters,  the  hospital  especially,  and  the 
First  Battalion  coral  star,  the  product  of  Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel Backus'  creative  genius,  all  deserve  mention,  but  the 
one  work  of  note  that  made  all  the  kodack  fiends  hurry  to 
our  camp,  that  made  other  regiments  look  our  way  with 
envious  eyes  and  wonder  why  they  "  hadn't  thought  of  it  " 
was,  is  and  always  will  be  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  Monument.  It  stands  there 
to-day  in  its  lonely  grandeur,  growing  more  endurable  with 
the  passing  ages;  a  monument  to  the  enterprise  of  the  regi- 
ment whose  name  it  bears.  It  is  the  first  monument  ever 
erected  on  foreign  soil  to  the  memory  of  an  American 
Soldier  and  the  honor  of  its  origination  and  general  design 
belongs  to  the  inimitable  Backus,  to  whose  inherent  aptitude 
for  such  things  and  untiring  energy  the  One  Hundred  and 
Sixty-first  Indiana  owes  much  of  the  credit  bestowed  upon 
it  for  the  example  it  always  set  as  the  model  camp  of  the 
Seventh  Army  Corps;  and  would  it  not  be  well  to  confess 
that  some  of  us  looked  a  little  wise  and  doubted  a  little  bit^ 
the  success  of  what  seemed  to  be  a  hard  task  to  make  out 


w 
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142  HISTORV    OF    THE 

of  rough  material  a  monument  creditable  to  the  reputation 
of  the  regiment;  but  the  lieutenant-colonel  simply  re- 
marked "Just  let  the  old  man  alone  "  and  when  the  work 
was  finished  every  man  in  the  regiment  was  proud  of  it. 
It  was  begun  on  the  2ist  day  of  January  and  completed  the 
5th  day  of  February,  and  every  stone  was  hauled,  hewn, 
lifted  and  put  in  place  by  a  soldier  of  the  regiment. 

Its  base  is  sixteen  feet  square  and  four  feet  high;  sur- 
mounted by  a  second  base  twelve  feet  square  and  three 
feet  high  and  rising  from  this  is  the  shaft,  sixteen  feet  high, 
being  four  feet  square  at  its  base  and  two  and  one  half 
feet  square  at  the  top  where  rests  a  twelve-inch  steel  shell 
making  in  all  a  total  height  of  twenty-four  feet.  The 
shells  and  cannon  balls  upon  and  around  its  base  were  se- 
cured from  the  landing  place  on  Playa  coast.  The  shaft  is 
a  heavy  frame  work  covered  with  brain  coral  and  set  in 
cement.  Imbedded  in  the  four  faces  of  the  second  base 
are  huge  limestone  slabs  bearing  the  four  inscriptions  "  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-first"  "Indiana"  "Volunteer"  "In- 
fantry. "  Set  in  the  north  side  of  the  lower  base  is  a  plate 
of  limestone  bearing  the  names  of  Colonel  Durbin,  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Backus  and  Captain  George  West  as  build- 
ers. In  the  front  lower  base  is  another  limestone  shield 
bearing  the  date  1899.  In  the  upper  left  hand  corner  of 
the  lower  base  immediately  under  the  lower  left  hand  cor- 
ner of  the  upper  base  is  the  corner  stone  concerning  the 
laying  of  which  and  its  contents  the  following  is  quoted 
from  the  "Times  of  Cuba.  " 

"  Yesterday  morning  the  corner  stone  was  laid,  not 
with  any  formal  ceremony  but  in  a  business-like  way.  The 
corner  stone  is  one  of  great  size,  and  after  being  chiseled 
out  a  tin  box  was  placed  inside.  The  box  was  about  fif- 
teen inches  on  each  side,  and  when  filled  contained  a  re- 
markable collection  of  papers,  very  different  from  any  that 


144  HISTORY    OF    THE 

history  records,  and  the  man  who  will  open  this  stone  in 
centuries  to  come  will  marvel  at  the  wonderful  sight  that 
will  greet  his  eyes  when  he  removes  the  cement  that  now 
so  well  protects  the  assortment  of  mementos  that  the  In- 
diana men  covered  with  a  massive  slab.  A  complete  roster 
of  the  regiment  was  first  placed  in  the  stone.  Then  came 
a  copy  of  the  drill  regulations  and  the  manual  of  arms,  fol- 
lowed by  the  photographs  of  a  number  of  the  officers  of 
the  regiment,  all  the  newspapers  published  in  Indiana  which 
could  be  procured,  a  few  small  coins,  a  piece  of  rope  from 
the  lamented  Maine,  one  cigar  in  a  box,  a  brief  history  of 
the  regiment,  copies  of  the  New  York,  Cincinnati  and  Chi- 
cago papers,  and  lastly  a  copy  of  the  Times  of  Cuba,  of 
Tuesday,  January  23,  which  contained  the  first  account  of 
the  unique  memorial  of  the  Indiana  regiment." 

Captain  West  deserves  great  praise  not  only  for  his 
share  in  the  monument's  design  but  for  the  attention  and 
assistance  given  to  its  erecton,  and  the  men  who  worked 
so  hard  for  so  many  days  ought  also  to  be  remembered.  It 
is  not  the  only  monument  of  its  kind  but  it  is  and  always 
will  be  the  first  one.  It  is  told  of  a  southern  colonel: 
There  were  fourteen  baptized  in  another  regiment;  he  forth- 
with ordered  the  adjutant  to  make  a  detail  of  twenty  men, 
to  take  them  down  to  the  creek  and  baptize  them,  for  he 
' '  wasn't  agoin'  to  allow  any  regiment  to  get  ahead  of  him ;  " 
and  so  there  are  other  monuments,  at  least  one, — a  credit- 
able work,  too,  by  the  way. 

January  also  contained  the  "bloody  period,"  a  time 
when  the  patriots'  fluid  was  drawn  upon  every  man,  a  time 
out  of  which  the  future  brought  much  intense  suffering,  a 
time  when  one  thousand  two  hundred  Hoosier  soldiers 
bared  their  strong  left  arms  to  the  surgeons'  little- bone 
slivers,  with  poison  points  like  Oriental  daggers,  dipped  in 
some  mysterious  concoction,  that  for  effect  might  have 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  145 

been,  for  all  the  soldiers  knew,  drawn  from  a  cauldron 
mixed  up  by  Macbeth's  witches,  and  in  plain  vernacular 
beat  a  tarantula  bite  all  hollow.  There  was  smallpox  in 
camp,  of  which  later  mention  will  be  made,  and  every 
man  was  vaccinated,  beginning  with  Company  A,  on  the 
i6th  of  the  month.  The  men  were  driven  up  to  the  dis- 
pensary like  sheep  to  the  slaughter-house — there  was  no- 
getting  out  of  it.  There  were  more  "  Ohs!  "and  "damns!  " 
and  like  emphatic  exclamations  in  this  month  than  in  all1 
others  together,  as  those  beautiful  rose-colored  sore  arms 
hanging  so  carefully  and  tenderly  down  would  run  against 
the  hand  of  some  thoughtless  fellow  who  wanted  to  tell  him 
something  on  the  confidential;  but  they  were  glad  of  it  for 
it  doubtless  prevented  what,  might  otherwise  have  been  a 
period  of  much  and  serious  sickness,  at  least  so  medical 
science  use  to  say. 

Many  of  these  January  days  were  wisely  employed  in 
visiting  much  of  what  there  was  of  note  on  the  island.  On 
the  2ist  fourteen  officers;  including  the  Colonel,  "saw  the 
sights."  They  reported  a  time  of  great  interest.  They  did 
Morro  and  Cabannas  and  the  city  thoroughly  and  were  in 
the  act  of  bringing  the  Maine  from  its  wreck  spot  in  the  bay 
to  camp  but  stopped  suddenly  after  procuring  enough  to 
supply  a  few  museums.  On  the  following  Saturday  ten 
more  under  charge  of  Major  Olds  made  a  similar  excursion. 
It  was  another  pleasant  and  profitable  day;  Major  Smith 
found  a  dollar  on  the  tomb  of  Columbus  in  the  old  cathre- 
dal.  The  privates  had  their  outings,  too.  Colonel  Durbin 
who  has  always  been  considerate  of  his  men,  conceived  the 
idea  of  sending  each  day,  ten  men  from  each  company  to 
the  country  in  army  wagons  for  a  day  of  recreation  and 
acquaintance  with  the  country's  beautiful  appearance-. 
Accordingly  at  7  A.  M.  on  January  2Qth  the  first  excursion 

went  out.     They  drove  over  a  fine  macadamized  road  past 
10 


Q 
W 
X 

s 

< 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


147 


trotting  ponies,  dusty  stage  coaches,  lumbering  burrow 
carts,  cane  and  pineapple  fields  and  banana  groves,  past  a 
thousand  palms  and  cocoas  and  other  tropical  growths, 
through  peculiar  Cuban  villages  to  the  mountains  sixteen 
miles  away  and  back  again  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
Nature  certainly  has  a  lavish  way  of  doing  things  in  Cuba 
and  as  one  looks  upon  the  luxuriant  landscape  he  thinks  of 
something  that  Emerson  said, 

"  Happy,  I  cried,  whose  home  is  here; 
Fair  fortune  to  the  Mountaineer; 
Dame  nature  round  his  humble  bed 
Hath  royal  pleasure  grounds  outspread." 

Still  appearances  ofttimes  deceive,  and  even  the  Cubans 
never  raised  enough  as  the  import  statistics  on  rice,  flour, 
potatoes,  salt, etc.,  plainly  indicate;  but  the  chief  thing  now 
is  that  nature  does  it  all  or  nearly  all,  for  the  wooden  plow 


148 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


and  antiquated  ox  goad;  show  the  rude  and  barbarous  stage 
out  of  which  their  agriculture-has  never  emerged;  but  now 
while  all  over  the  island  where  once  magnificent  estates  are 


in  ruins  and  the  country  has  gone  to  waste,  the  time  has  come 
for  the  replanting  and  rebuilding  and  under  an  American 
protectorate  or  at  least  the  influence  of  her  civilization 
which  is  bound  to>come,  agriculture  will  become  an  Ameri- 
can science  more  in  harmony  with  nature's  demand  that 
will  usher  in  an  era  of  prosperity  such  as  the  island  never 
yet  has  known. 

Squads  of  ten,  accompanied  by  a  commissioned  officer, 
from  time  to  time  also  visited  the  city  and  surveyed  its 
points  of  interest;  there  was  grim  old  Morro  with  its  walls 
hewn  from  the  rocks  in  1589;  its  famous  O'Donnell  light- 
house on  the 'seaward  corner  and  its  frowning  batteries 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  149 

crowned  with  sixty  cannon  and  the  famous  "twelve  apos- 
tles." And  there  is  traditional  and  worthless  old  Cabana, 
dating  from  1763,  at  a  cost  of  fourteen  million  dollars. 
There  is  the  unrivaled  view  encircling  the  bay,  the  tragic 
spot  where  rests  the  Maine,  the  old  Catholic  cathedral, 
and,  best  of  all,  the  life  with  all  its  peculiar  characteristics 
that  flows  through  the  city's  narrow  streets.  The  value  of 
seeing  the  country,  the  city  and  the  people,  will  always  be 
to  every  man,  from  an  educatioaal  standpoint,  a  reason  for 
rejoicing  that  the  destinies  of  war  took  him  to  those 
shores. 

If  January  began  with  a  significant  event  it  was  also 
to  end  with  one.  An  order  came  to  prepare  for  a  corps 
review  on  the  3ist.  The  reviewing  officer  was  to  be  the 
inspector  general  of  the  United  States  Army,  Brigadier- 
General  Breckenridge.  The  general  had  inspected  our 
camp  the  day  before,  the  3Oth,  and  on  the  3ist,  the  parade 
ground  being  next  and  nearest  our  regiment,  every  man 
who  could  shoulder  a  gun  turned  out.  Beside  the  infantry 
of  the  Seventh  Army  Corps  there  were  present  the  Seventh 
Cavalry  and  the  Second  United  States  Artillery.  In  all 
over  thirteen  hundred  men  passed  in  review  at  3  P.  M. 
before  the  distinguished  visitor  who  was  there  for  that  pur- 
pose in  company  with  General  Fitz  Hugh  Lee. 

The  review  was  one  that  showed  the  results  of  hard 
training  on  the  part  of  every  regiment  present;'  in  fact  it 
was  remarkable  the  way  those  men  did  march.  The 
Indiana  boys  were  there.  Said  one  fellow  from  another 
regiment,  ' '  Those  d — d  Hoosiers  can  have  typhoid  fever, 
smallpox  and  everything  else  and  then  turn  out  bigger  com- 
panies and  march  better  than  any  regiment  in  the  whole 
d — d  corps."  That  he  was  about  right,  forgetting  the 
indelicacy  of  his  expression  is  clearly  proven  by  the  follow- 
ing letter. 


I5O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

HEADQUARTERS  IST.  BRIG.,  20.  Div.,  7TH  A.  C.,  \ 
CAMP  COLUMBIA,  HAVANA,  CUBA,  FEB.  i,   1899.       j 

THE  COMMANDING  OFFICER,  i6ist  IND.  VOL.  INF. 

SIR: — The  brigadier-general  commanding  directs  me 
to  inform  you  in  his  opinion  your  regiment  presented  the 
finest  appearance  of  any  in  the  corps  at  the  review  before 
the  inspector-general  yesterday,  and  to  express  to  you  his 
gratification  thereat.  Also,  that  he  considered  the  condi- 
tion of  your  camp  as  worthy  of  especial  commendation, 
which  he  takes  pleasure  in  transmitting  to  you.  Very 
respectfully, 

R.  G.  PAXTON, 
Assistant  Adjutant-General. 

The  men  were  proud  of  this  deserved  tribute;  it  was 
the  result  of  intelligent  and  hard  work  and  every  future 
parade  showed  they  meant  to  hold  the  distinction  they  had 
so  honorably  acquired.  And  thus  the  first  month  of  1899 
came  to  an  end.  February  was  at  hand  and  entered  upon, 
every  man  wondering  what  its  four  short  weeks  would 
bring  forth  in  the  experience  of  the  army  to  which  he 
belonged. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


CAMP    COLUMBIA. 

February  r,  '99-March  31,  '99. 

February  came  and  brought  with  it  twenty-eight  days 
of  atmospheric  changes;  for  a  day  or  a  few  the  sun  was  at 
his  best  and  then  for  an  equal  length  of  time  or  longer  the 
clouds  that  hid  the  hot  old  orb  poured  their  torrents  down 
upon  the  thirsty  ground;  for  a  time  we  were  warmly  re- 
minded of  our  equatorial  proximity  and  then  with  a  gale 
that  sprang  up  in  the  night  the  wind  would  turn  and  bring 
us  chilly  reminders  of  that  for-years-unequalled  winter  they 
were  having  in  our  Hoosier  home  up  north.  It  was  not 
necessary  to  wait  for  the  "  rainy  season"  to  discover  that 
Cuban  skies  had  fine  raining  facilities;  they  were  too  gen- 
erous to  'deal  in  "drops;"  they  poured  it  out  in  torrents 
and  then  some.  The  north  wind  that  rose  in  the  night  and 
played  those  beautiful  tunes  with  the  flies,  that  blustered 
around  the  tent  and  blew  an  occasional  one  down,  just  to 
show  what  it  could  do,  was  a  little  reminder  of  what  we 
might  expect  when  the  real  time  came  for  the  wind  to  blow. 
But  the  night  of  the  i3th  was  not  so  slow.  At  2  A.  M.  on 
the  morning  of  the  I2th  the  wind  began  to  rise;  it  had  been 
blowing  from  the  north  for  a  day  and  all  through  the  I3th 
it  kept  rising  higher  till  it  sent  the  ocean  breakers  in  white 
dashing  billows  against  the  coast  of  Playa.  By  8  p.  M. 
there  was  a  heavy  wind  growing  hourly  stronger  and  by 
2  A.  M.of  the  coming  morning  a  regular  hurricane  was  hav- 
ing its  own  way  all  over  camp.  The  night  was  awful;  the 


I$2  HISTORY    OF    THE 

flies  banged  the  tent  with  a  vengeance,  the  frames  creaked, 
the  shrinking  ropes  pulled  hard  at  the  pegs  and  everywhere 
destruction  was  imminent.  Many  of  the  division  hospital 
tents  went  down,  all  the  assembly  tents  fell,  and  our  own 
was  irreparably  ruined.  The  guard  tents  fell  and  from  one 
to  several  tents  in  every  company.  The  men  were  used 
to  it,  however,  and  when  the  wind  got  through  they  put 
them  up  again  and  were  ready  for  drill. 

The  month  was  full  of  history,  though  not  all  of  it  per- 
taining directly  to  the  regiment;  there  was,  however,  the 
usual  drill  evolutions  and  the  month's  share  of  camp  con- 
struction. 

All  through  the  month  there  was  in  course  of  erection, 
in  the  rear  of  camp,  a  commodious  and  much  needed,  but, 
alas,  never  used  bath  house,  a  most  convenient  arrange- 
ment surpassing  anything  yet  provided;  a  regular  double 
decker.  The  upper  story  was  provided  with  nine  shower 
baths,  the  lower  with  one  large  tub  for  twenty-five  men, 
besides  which  there  were  other  complete  toilet  arrange- 
ments for  twenty-four  men.  Other  regiments  were  also 
provided,  the  work  in  this  case  being  done  not  by'the  men 
of  the  regiment  but  by  the  corps  of  engineers,  Second 
United  States.  They  made  a  fine  bath  house,  but  were  a 
mighty  long  time  at  it.  That  it  was  ready  for  use  some- 
time after  the  regiment  left  is  to  be  presumed. 

On  the  5th  Colonel  Backus  drew  the  plan  for  the  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  band  stand.  It  was  to 
be  octagon  in  shape,  to  be  built  of  bamboo,  and  to  sur- 
pass in  uniqueness  and  beauty  anything  in  the  Seventh 
Army  Corps.  Would  it  be  hard  to  substantially  join  the 
bamboo?  Yes,  but  the  colonel  would  do  it.  Forthwith 
wagons  were  sent  into  the  country  to  procure  the  Cana 
Brava  (bamboo),  for  the  frame  and  the  palm  leaves  for  its 
characteristic  thatched  roof.  It  is  not  Necessary  to  relate 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  153 

the  adjutant's  war  with  the  Cuban  farmer  whose  bamboo 
he  had  innocently  appropriated,  nor  how  the  chaplain's 
mules  ran  away  while  he  was  pulling  a  mahogany  post  four 
feet  out  of  the  road  side,  but  the  poles  and  leaves  were 
brought  and  the  work  began.  When  nails  would  not  hold 
the  poles  were  wired  together;  each  of  the  eight  sides  were 
ten  feet  wide,  seats  edged  with  bamboo  were  put  in  place, 
the  floor  was  made  of  famous  Playa  sand,  the  palm 
branches  were  strapped  upon  the  roof  and  it  was  finished, 
a  shining  green  Kiosque  with  accommodations  for  forty 
musicians.  Of  course  the  green  faded  out,  the  leaves  were 
brown  in  a  'day  as  if  to  remind  us  that  man  is  like  the 
grass  of  the  field;  in  the  morning  it  flourisheth  and  groweth 
up;  in  the  evening  it  is  cut  down  and  withereth;  but  when 
the  band  played  we  forgot  all  about  that.  The  companies 
were  yet  ^without  dining  rooms  and  February  saw  their 
erection.  Lieutenant  Johnson,  of  Company  A,  had 
returned  in  time  to  complete  the  music  stand,  and  Febru- 
ary 13,  began  work  on  the  eating  shacks.  Ten  feet  in  front 
of  each  kitchen  was  built  a  long  narrow  frame  work  and 
covered  with  paulines.  Each  was  twenty-five  feet  long 
and  fifteen  feet  wide,  providing  fifty  men  on  either  side 
with  seating  and  table  room. 

The  drill  was  mostly  battalion;  for  ten  days  it  was 
battalion  drill  in  the  morning  and  dress  parade.in  the  even- 
ing; then  came  a  few  days  of  company  drill,  and  the  lat- 
ter part  of  the  month  was  devoted  to  battalion  extended 
order  drill  and  to  "advance  and  rear  guard  work,"  i-n  which 
latter  the  battalions  marched  into  the  enemy's  country, 
threw  out  their  skirmishers  and  advanced  for  points  of 
attack;  now  toward  some  thatched  hut,  or  some  ravine  or 
even  God's  holy  house  in  Marianoa,  but  failing  to  find  an 
•enemy  returned  to  camp  and  left  the  bewildered  Cubans 
wondering  what  they  had  in  mind  to  do. 


154  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Major  Havens  paid  us  his  accustomed  visit  on  the  6th. 
The  major  was  always  welcome.  On  the  loth,  at  dress 
parade,  the  regimental  photograph  was  taken  on  the  hill- 
side, near  the  division  hospital.  Picture  business  paid 
better  than  a  commission  in  the  army. 

Among  other  events  of  peculiar  interest  to  the  army 
in  general  was  the  burial,  on  the  iith,  of  the  remains  of 
General  Calixto  Garcia,  an  imposing  ceremony,  marred 
only  by  the  childish  action  of  the  quick-tempered  and 
pharisaical-dispositioned  Cuban  officials.  The  following 
is  taken  from  La  Lucha,  of  February  13: 

"The  funeral  of  the  Cuban  general,  Calixto  Garcia, 
which  took  place  on  last  Saturday  afternoon,  was  altogether 
an  imposing  ceremony,  not  only  on  account  of  the  divers 
elements  which  figured  in  it,  but  also  on  account  of  the 
immense  number  of  people  of  all  classes  who  literally 
covered  the  balconies  and  terraces  of  the  houses  and 
invaded  the  sidewalks  and  even  the  streets  through  which 
the  mournful  cortege  was  to  pass. 

"  Clubs  to  the  number  of  eighty-three  formed  in  the 
procession,  in  which  were  also  to  be  seen  four  splendid 
hearses,  respectively  drawn  by  four,  six  and  ten  horses, 
the  coaches  laden  with  part  of  the  floral  crowns  dedicated 
to  the  memory  of  General  Garcia,  whose  body  had  been 
placed  on  the  caisson  of  an  American  cannon. 

"Incompliance  with  President  McKinley's instructions, 
General  Brooke  ordered  that  the  honors  of  a  general  who 
had  died  in  campaign  should  be  rendered  to  General  Garcia; 
accordingly  four  companies  of  cavalry  and  four  batteries  of 
artillery  of  the  United  States  formed  in  the  funeral;  Gen- 
eral Brooke  with  his  staff  and  escort  also  attended. 

"The  caisson  with  General  Garcia's  body  was  followed 
by  three  priests  on  foot;  then  came  General  Garcia's  sons, 
in  a  carriage;  Generals  Brooke,  Chaffee  and  Humphreys 
and  Colonel  Richards  and  the  secretaries,  in  three  car- 
riages; General  Brooke's  staff  and  Lee  and  his  staff, 
mounted,  a  cavalry  troop;  General  Ludlow  in  a  carriage, 
his  staff  mounted. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  I  55 

"The  two  corps  of  Havana  firemen, that  turned  out  in 
full  at  the  end  of  the  procession,  greatly  attracted  atten- 
tion, on  account  of  the  fine  look  of  their  personnel,  and 
brilliant  uniforms. 

"It  is  really  a  pity  that  the  misunderstanding  occurred 
at  the  last  hour,  owing  to  which  the  delegates  of  the  Cuban 
assembly,  part  of  the  members  of  the  city  council,  all  the 
Cuban  generals  and  troops  withdrew  from  the  funeral,  thus 
defrauding  public  expectation  of  seeing  armed  Cubans 
formed  for  the  first  time  in  this  city;  and  a  sentiment  of 
uneasiness, as  to  the  future  consequences,  became  general." 

Four  days  more,  and  the  I5th,  bringing  up  the  sad 
memory  of  a  year  ago,  was  at  hand.  It  was  the  anniver- 
sary of  the  destruction  of  the  Maine.  The  following  order 
was  received: 

HEADQUARTERS  SEVENTH  ARMY  CORPS,  j 
CAMP  COLUMBIA,  HAVANA,  CUBA, 

February  14,  1899.  ) 

GENERAL  ORDER  No.  12. 

To-morrow  being  the  anniversary  of  the  loss  of  the 
United  States  battleship  Maine,  all  duty  in  this  command 
excepting  the  necessary  guard  and  police,  will  be  sus- 
pended. 

By  command  of  Major-General  Lee. 

R.  E.  L.  MICHIE, 
Assistant  Adjutant-General. 

It  was  the  night  of  February  15,  1898;  it  was  9:40 
o'clock.  The  sky  was  overcast,  but  now  and  then  the  soft 
rays  of  the  clear  moon  would  break  through  to  kiss  the 
placid  waters  of  the  bay  as  they  gently  washed  the  sides  of 
the  great  vessel  as  if  to  say,  "All  is  well."  Taps  had 
sounded  and  the  boys  had  "turned  in,"  and  while  they 
were  sleeping  and  dreaming,  perhaps,  of  home  or  per- 
chance of  how  they  were  bravely  manning  the  guns  in  some 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  I  $f 

great  and  honorable  naval  conflict,  listening  with  pride  in 
their  dream-bound  imagination  to  the  thundering  of  the 
big  twelve-inch  guns,  there  was  consummated  the  fiendish 
perfidy  of  an  enemy,  who  did  not  dare  to  meet  the  defend- 
ers of  Old  Glory  in  fair  and  honorable  battle,  and  therefore 
chose  the  cover  of  darkness  to  touch  the  lives  of  innocent 
men. 

Two  hundred  and  fifty-four  men  were  lost  that  night. 
A  few  of  the  one  hundred  rescued  died  shortly  after.  Feb- 
ruary 17  nineteen  bodies  were  interred  in  Colon  cemetery; 
others  followed,  until  more  than  a  half  hundred  rest  beneath 
that  sacred  mound. 

A  year  had  passed  since  the  tragic  event,  and  a  fitting 
memorial  service  was  to  be  held  in  Colon  cemetery. 

At  9:30  marines  from  the  Brooklyn,  the  Resolute  and 
the  Lebanon,  accompanied  by  a  detail  of  sailors  and  their 
band,  formed  in  front  of  the  United  States  Club  in  the 
Prado,  and  with  a  troop  from  the  Seventh  Cavalry  and  a 
large  procession  of  carriages  and  army  ambulance  contain- 
ing ladies  with  numberless  wreaths  of  beautiful  flowers, 
they  started  at  2  o'clock  for  Vedado.  At  the  entrance  to 
the  cemetery  they  were  joined  by  General  Brooke  and  his 
staff.  At  the  same  hour  a  battalion  from  the  First  Maine 
Heavy  Artillery,  one  battalion  from  each  division,  one 
troop  cavalry  and  one  battery  of  light  artillery  formed  in 
the  road  leading  .to  Havana  with  the  head  of  the  column 
resting  at  Puentes  Grandes  bridge.  When  this  escort  with 
General  Lee  reached  the  cemetery  part  of  the  ceremony 
had  been  finished.  The  marines  and  sailors  had  drawn  up, 
and  as  the  Brooklyn  band  rendered  a  few  selections  they 
filed  past  the  graves,  each  placing  upon  them  some. beauti- 
ful flowers.  Then  came  the  ladies  with  the  other  floral 
offerings.  General  Lee's  party  then  came  and  rendered 
similar  tribute;  a  national  salute  of  twenty-one  guns  was. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  159 

fired  and  the  crowd  passed  out  under  the  colossal  arch  of 
Havana's  holy  field,  leaving  the  dead  heroes  sleeping 
beneath  a  wilderness  of  flowers.  It  was  impressive,  solemn 
and  pathetic;  it  was  all  that  could  be  done  to  honor  our 
country's  dead,  but  the  United  States  will  have  done  its 
duty  only  when  somewhere  on  the  Prado  or  on  some  other 
suitable  spot  a  beautiful  and  imposing  monument  rises  to 
their  memory. 

Since  the  narrative  has  entered  the  Havana  cemetery 
it  will  be  interesting  to  take  the  reader  to  one  corner  of  this 
huge  burying  place,  and  there  look  upon  one  of  the  most 
shocking  sights  in  Cuba — the  "Human  Bone  Yard  "  — a 
cut  of  which  is  given  on  the  following  page.  This  enclosure 
is  over  seventy  feet  square,  and  the  depth  of  the  bone  pile 
is  over  forty  feet,  containing,  to-day,  the  bones  of  many 
millions  of  people.  The  rich  man  is  hauled  to  his  grave 
with  highly  caparisoned  livery;  the  poor  man  carried  in  a 
rude  coffin  on  the  shoulders  of  four  young  men;  according 
to  his  wealth,  he  is  buried  in  his  coffin,  or,  as  is  more 
usually  the  case,  taken  out  and  lowered  by  a  rope  into  his 
resting  place  in  mother  earth's  bare  bosom.  The  coffin- 
bearers  each  pick  up  a  piece  of  dirt,  kiss  it,  throw  it  upon 
the  corpse,  pick  up  their  coffin  and  take  it  back  to  be  used 
for  the  next  poor  man.  A  little  lime  is  then  thrown  over 
the  corpse  and  the  grave-digger  takes  his  hoe  and  scrapes 
in  the  soil  to  a  depth  of  about  eight  inches  above  the  poor 
fellow's  remains,  and  the  SAME  grave  is  then  ready  for 
another  occupant,  who  is  not  long  in  coming.  If  this  is 
shocking,  what  follows  is  more  so:  For  centuries  the 
established  church  of  that  island  has  imposed  a  yearly  grave 
tax,  an  exorbitant  sum  which  the  poor,  of  course,  cannot 
pay,  and  as  the  poor  predominate  in  numbers  the  hideous 
bone  pile  is  the  result,  and  every  cemetery  has  its  ghastly 
corner  into  which  the  grave-digger  is  busy  throwing  the 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  l6l 

bones  while  he  empties  the  grave  for  another  tenant.  The 
day  of  this  heathenish  practice  is  over!  Up  to  Washington 
has  gone  the  cry  of  the  Cuban  people,  asking  the  privilege 
for  their  dead  to  rest  undisturbed,  and  the  influence  of  the 
starry  flag,  the  ideas  of  the  American  nation,  will  make 
it  so. 

In  the  regiment  a  corps  review  had  been  ordered. 
The  first  order  for  this  review,  dated  February  8,  corps 
headquarters,  called  for  a  review  of  the  corps  on  the 
iith  inst.,  at  3  o'clock  p.  M.,  on  the  open  ground  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  camp  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  by  the  major-general  com- 
manding, division  of  Cuba.  The  drill  ground  in  our  vicinity 
was  the  largest  and  best  available;  it  was  thoroughly  pre- 
pared by  Cuban  labor,  giving  to  the  One  Hundred  and 
Sixty-first  Indiana  the  best  practice  ground  in  the  whole 
Seventh  Army  Corps. 

Many  of  the  regiments  were  on  their  way  to  execute 
the  above  order  when  it  was  revoked  because  of  rain,  and 
the  men,  already  drenched,  went  back.  It  was  ours  to 
wait  in  the  dry.  On  the  same  day,  from  regimental  head- 
quarters, general  order  No.  6  was  promulgated,  stating  the 
review  would  be  held  Monday,  the  I3th,  with  battalions 
ready  to  move  at  2:30  p.  M.  All  men  able  to  bear  guns  to 
be  in  line  and  no  one  excused  except  in  writing  by  the 
major-surgeon. 

Again  the  men  were  on  their  way.  Again  it  poured 
and  again  came  the  order  of  postponement  until  Friday, 
the  i /th.  This  time  the  elements  were  threatening,  but 
the  review  was  on.  The  First  Division  was  followed  by 
the  First  Maine  Heavy  Artillery  and  then  the  Second  Divis- 
ion, of  which  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  was 
the  last  regiment,  passed  in  review,  followed  by  the  Light 

Artillery  Battalion  and  the  Cavalry  Squadron,  which  last, 
11 


l62  HISTORY    OF    THE 

for  the  satisfaction  of  the  people,  passed  a  second  time,  in 
running  order.  This  was  the  first  time  in  which  General 
Lee  himself,  with  his  staff,  passed  the  reviewing  officer.  In 
all,  there  were  fifteen  thousand  soldiers  in  line.  The  troops 
were  given  a  critical  inspection,  and  a  judgment  that  was 
favorable  rendered  for  them  all;  the  men  were  on  their 
nerve  that  day  and  it  would  have  been  hard  to  find  a  better 
body  of  marching  men.  The  spectacle  was  imposing  and 
the  impression  was  general  that  it  would  be  the  corps'  last 
review. 

The  22d  brought  another  anniversary  and  also  an  order 
for  the  suspension  of  all  military  duties.  The  men  were  al- 
lowed to  go  out  in  considerable  numbers.  Many  officers  were 
also  absent,  and  it  was  a  quiet  camp  all  day.  At  12  o'clock 
the  national  salute  of  twenty-one  guns  was  fired,  under  the 
direction  of  the  commanding  officer  of  the  Light  Artillery 
Battalion,  from  the  eminence  on  which  the  headquarters 
of  the  Second  Division  is  located. 

At  the  same  hour  in  the  city  of  Havana  occurred  a 
review  of  the  Regulars;  the  Cabanas  guns  fired  a  salute  and 
the  Seventh  Cavalry  Band  played  "America,"  which  was 
the  signal  for  beginning  the  march  of  three  thousand  men, 
who  passed  in  review  before  Generals  Brooke  and  Ludlow, 
who,  with  their  staffs,  had  their  reviewing  positions  in  front 
of  the  "  Inglaterra." 

The  order  was:  Seventh  Cavalry,  Second  Artillery 
and  Tenth  Infantry;  the  Eighth  Infantry  and  two  compa- 
nies of  engineers  bringing  up  the  rear. 

The  review  only  lasted  about  twenty  minutes,  the 
men  returning  immediately  to  camp. 

Salutes  from  the  Texas  and  Brooklyn  were  fired  in 
response  to  that  of  Cabanas. 

The  next  day  brought  Gomez  to  Marianao.  The  old 
chief  had  skulked  in  the  woods  long  enough;  he  had  made 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  163 

terms  with  America  for  the  payment  of  his  army  and    was 
on  the  way  to  stand  before  the  people  whose  cause  he  had 
espoused.  The  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  band  had  been 
asked  to  meet  him  and  escort  him  through  the  city  at  1 130 
p.  M.,  he  was  expected  and  the  band  was  there,  the  popu- 
lace was  there,  hundred  of  soldiers  in  blue  were  there  and 
the  Cuban  army  was  there,  seven  hundred  infantry  and  five 
hundred  cavalry,  a  strange   mixture  of  color  and    age;  we 
have  remarked  upon  the  color  before;  but  there  were  young 
boys,  children  not  over  thirteen  and  some  that  were  nearer 
twelve  riding  bony  ponies  small  of  stature,  soldiers  in  the 
Cuban  revolt.      Every  half  hour  brought  a  train,  but  not 
the  general,  and  when  the  crowd  had  waited  three  hours 
and   a  half    a    special    bearing    the    "stars    and    stripes" 
and    the   Cuban  flag    came    rolling    up   from    Quemados; 
every     one     knew   it     bore    the    expected     chieftain    and 
immediately  a   scene   of  greatest    confusion    reigned,    the 
bands  played  and  the  multitude  yelled.       The    mayor   of 
Marianao  had  driven  his  handsome  pony  and   carriage  to 
the  proper   exit  to  receive  the   old  hero,  but  some  excited 
Cuban  who  knew  it  all  persuaded  him  to  quickly  drive    to 
the  other  entrance  and  about  the  time  he  got  there  Gomez 
came    where  the  carriage    first   stood.      What,  no  convey- 
ance to  meet  the  old  battle-scarred  veteran  ?  and  the  crowd 
bearing  down  upon  him!   near  the  entrance  stood  an  ante- 
deluvian  shay  with  a  skeleton  between  the  shafts  and  an 
ebony  faced  driver  on  the  seat.      They  jerked  his  old  rattle- 
trap half  way  and  the  general  the  other  half  and  would  his 
posterity  ever  believe  it  the    "peseta  "   hack-driver  was  to 
drive  the    great  Gomez  through  'the  streets  of  Marianao. 
Just  then  the  mayor  spun  around  the  corner,  and  his  angry 
passions  rose;  it  was  "  carramba  "  with  one  hand  and  then 
"  carramba  "  with  the  other,  and  then  "carramba"  with 
both  and    Mr.    Know-it-all   expostulated,  and    the    mayor 


164  HISTORY    QF    THE 

expostulated  and  said  "  carramba  "  again,  and  just  then 
four  drops  of  rain  fell  from  the  sky  and  the  old  warrior  of 
many  a  storm  was  in  his  mackintosh  before  it  could  be  told 
and  the  dusty  buggy  top  dropped  over  him  and  he  was  off 
before  a  third  of  the  crowd  who  had  stretched  their  cervi- 
cal vertebra  so  hard  had  a  chance  to  see  him.  The  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-first  band  went  before  him  playing 
"The  Stars  and  Stripes  Forever,"  while  his  Cuban  follow- 
ers came  behind  him  and  thus  he  was  escorted  to  Cuban 
headquarters;  in  the  evening  a  reception  was  given  and 
later  in  the  theatre  a  ball.  The  general  wore  a  slouch  hat 
and  around  his  neck  was  tied  a  silken  handkerchief;  he 
was  a  trifle  stooped  and  his  face  bore  signs  of  the  hardships 
he  had  suffered  in  his  late  campaign.  The  next  day  he 
entered  Havana  and  received  the  ovations  of  a  grateful 
populace  while  the  political  charlatans  were  whetting  their 
knives  to  stab  him  in  the  hour  of  his  triumph. 

This  suffices  for  February,  unless  it  be  to  mention  the 
26th,  when  the  privates  had  an  opportunity  to  watch  and 
laugh  while  the  line  officers  drilled,  practicing  sword  salu- 
tation a  la  regulation ;  or  perchance  to  tell  of  how  the  boys  of 
the  Seveath  Army  Corps  changed  the  schedule  on  the 
' '  Ferro-Carril  de  Marianao. "  It  is  a  simple  story  of  asimple 
plan.  The  trains  didn't  stop  where  the  boys  wanted  to  get  on, 
and  they  "  soaped  "  the  track.  The  train  stopped  and  the 
boys  got  on,  but  it  caused  General  Lee  the  trouble  of 
writing  General  Order  No.  18,  and  then,  of  course,  the  boys 
stopped. 

During  the  latter  part  of  February  officers  and  men 
were  in  daily  expectation  of  an  order  from  brigade  head- 
quarters sending  the  brigade  out  for  a  ten  days  or  a  two 
weeks'  practice  march.  The  Second  Brigade  had  just 
returned  from  such  a  march,  and  it  was  generally  under- 
stood that  the  First  Brigade  was  to  proceed  upon  a  similar 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  1 65 

one,  going,  however,  around  the  city  through  the  Havana 
province,  instead  of  the  southwesterly  direction  taken  by 
the  Second  Brigade.  On  February  27  (Sunday)  Colonel 
Durbin,  Major  Smith  and  Major  Olds  made  a  prospecting 
tour,  selecting  suitable  roadways  and  camping  spots. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  the  surgeon  had,  on  Feb- 
ruary 25,  sent  up  to  division  headquarters  a  protest  against 
the  plan.  The  protest  received  the  approval  of  the  acting 
chief  surgeon  of  the  division,  but  after  going  to  the  chief 
surgeon  of  the  Havana  province,  was  returned  practically 
disapproving  the  protest,  and  recommending  preparations 
for  the  march,  which,  though  not  yet  ordered,  had  been  set 
for  March  ist,  but  the  major's  protest  was  too  sensible  and 
weighty,  and  word  came  on  March  ist  that  the  proposed 
practice  march  had  been  postponed,  but  the  fact  was  that 
the  idea  was  altogether  abandoned.  In  the  meantime  the 
colonel  had  planned  another  march,  that  of  a  day's  pleas- 
ure trip  to  Vento  Springs.  The  adjutant,  in  company 
with  Captain  Fortune,  picked  the  way  on  Wednesday, 
March  ist,  and  in  the  early  morning  of  the  2d,  with 
Company  A  as  advance  guard,  the  regiment  started  on  its 
way.  When  they  came  to  the  Second  Division  hospital  the 
nurses  and  convalescents  and  all  of  Company  M  turned  out 
to  see  them  as  they  passed.  The  bugle  corps  did  its  best 
from  the  top  of  the  hill  till  the  railroad  was  crossed,  when 
the  band  struck  up  "The  Indiana  State  Band,"  and  kept 
it  up  in  a  way  that  meant  business  till  Real  street  was 
reached.  The  regiment  marched  out  past  the  sugar  factory 
to  the  main  railroad,  where  the  ambulances  waited  while 
they  pushed  on  one  and  one-half  miles  to  Vento.  The 
band  played  a  tune  and  the  boys  were  turned  loose.  They 
took  a  swim,  had  lunch  at  12,  went  down  into  the  basin, 
went  through  the  tunnel,  and  while  some  lounged  others 
went  over  to  visit  the  insane  asylum,  one-half  mile  away. 


1 66  HISTORY    OF    THE 

At  3:30  the  regiment  took  its  way  toward  carnp,  arriving 
at  5:45. 

Before  the  construction  of  the  Vento  springs  the  city 
had  been  inadequately  supplied  with  water  from  the  Zanja 
and  Ferdinand  VII  aqueducts;  the  magnificent  aqueduct  of 
Isable  II,  or  of  the  Vento,  was  begun  in  1859,  deriving  its 
supply  from  the  pure  and  inexhaustable  Vento  springs  on 
the  edge  of  the  Almandares  river,  nine  miles  from  Havana. 

The  aqueduct  itself  has  already  cost  three  million  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars  and  is  still  incomplete,  being 
temporarily  connected  with  that  of  Ferdinand  VII.  It  will 
cost  three  million  dollars  to  complete  it.  The  Vento 
spring  is  a  wonderful  construction,  being  a  large  stone 
basin  open  at  the  bottom,  through  which  the  spring  bub- 
bles. The  aqueduct  is  a  tunnel  of  brick,  eliptical  in  shape, 
placed  under  the  ground  and  marked  by  turrets  of  stone 
placed  along  its  course,  carrying  the  water  to  two  great  res- 
ervoirs near  Cerro  and  from  thence  to  the  city.  An  at- 
tempt was  first  made  to  pipe  water  for  the  camp  from  Ha- 
vana, but  the  elevation  interfering,  a  big  elevated  tank  was 
built  near  the  Fourth  Illinois  by  means  of  which  the  wa- 
ter was  to  be  forced  through  the  camps.  On  Sunday  night, 
January  22,  a  tremendous  crash  was  heard  and  as  the  men 
went  flying  toward  the  sound  conjecture  was  running  wild; 
it  was  generally  conceded  that  a  frightful  wreck  had  oc- 
curred and  Bruce  of  Company  K  declared  he  saw  the  train 
just  go  up  and  the  head  light  just  go  out,  but  as  they  drew 
near  they  found  the  huge  water  tank  smashed  to  splinters 
in  a  flood  of  water  and  mud.  The  water  was  afterwards 
piped  from  the  reservoirs  and  every  camp  furnished  with 
the  clear,  pure  water  of  Vento. 

The  asylum  visited  by  the  boys  has  a  sad  history;  when 
war  came  its  inmates  were  neglected;  at  General  Lee's 
departure  two  thousand  barrels  of  a  wheat  preparation,  a 


w 
z 

H 

o 

CD 


1 68  HISTORY    OF    THE 

portion  of  America's  gift  to  the  starving  people  of  Cuba, 
was  left  in  the  sheds  at  the  wharf.  This  the  Spanish  au- 
thorities seized  and  divided  it  equally  between  three  insti- 
tutions of  which  the  asylum  referred  to  was  one.  There 
were  then  one  thousand  and  seventy-five  inmates  and  from 
then  until  the  fortunes  of  war  changed  no  other  provision 
was  made  to  sustain  their  life  and  less  than  two  hundred 
lived  through  that  awful  period  of  starvation — starved  to 
death!  The  surviving  ones  are  all  nearly  dark  skinned, 
showing  their  superiority  of  physique  and  consequent  power 
of  endurance. 

A  week  of  usual  camp  routine  followed  next.  There 
was  drill  and  parade,  an  issue  of  clothing  by  the  quarter- 
master and  a  sermon  by  the  chaplain.  At  dress  parade  on 
the  6th  General  Lee  was  present  and  was  stationed  at  Colo- 
nel Durbin's  left,  while  Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus  passed 
the  regiment  in  review.  The  general,  in  company  with 
Admiral  Sampson,  passed  through  camp  again  the  follow- 
ing day  and  again  on  the  pth,  in  company  with  Captain 
Sigsbee  of  the  Texas,  visited  camp,  witnessed  the  review 
and  stopped  for  conference  with  the  colonel.  Among 
other  things  the  disposition  of  the  Maine  artillery  tent 
floors  was  a  matter  in  question.  The  Maine  boys  had  left 
on  the  8th  and  many  of  our  own  tents  were  still  without 
floors;  that  evening  a  few  floors  found  their  way  over  the 
hill  by  mistake;  the  mistake  was  a  simple  one.  Our  regi- 
ment had  been  asked  to  put  a  guard  over  the  much  coveted 
property;  the  instruction  to  the  guard  was  to  allow  no  one 
to  carry  away  the  floors,  but  when  he  gave  the  instruction 
-  to  his  relief  he  said  "  no  one  is  allowed  to  carry  these  floors 
but  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first,"  and  the  floors  began  to 
move.  However,  the  next  day  they  were  given  us  by  proper 
authority  and  were  accordingly  moved  and  made  up  for  the 
regiment  what  it  lacked  in  floors  for  its  men. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


169 


GOVERNMENT  WAREHOUSE  AT  QUEMADOS. 

On  Friday,  the  loth,  at  2:15  p.  M.,  the  battleships 
New  York,  Brooklyn,  Indiana  and  Texas  passed,  in  order 
named,  along  the  coast  on  their  cruising  expedition  to 
Cienfuegos  and  Santiago.  Thirteen  guns  were  fired  by  the 
light  artillery  from  the  eminence  near  division  headquarters 
and  the  salute  returned  by  the  guns  of  the  New  York.  On 
the  loth  the  Exchange  was  moved  out  of  its  weedy  corner 
and  obscure  surroundings  and  taken  to  the  "  Midway,"  so 
dubbed  by  the  boys,  for  here  was  the  band,  the  assembly 
tent,  the  post-office,  and  the  exchange  and  here  the  officers 
sent  for  their  men  when  they  were  wanted  and  couldn't  be 
found,  spending  idle  moments  listening  to  band  practice, 
playing  games,  writing  letters,  buying  stamps  and  soft 
drinks  at  the  Exchange.  It  was  also  on  the  loth  that  cir- 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


MIDWAY. 

cular  No.  5  was  issued  from  corps  headquarters  authoriz- 
ing regimental  commanders  to  replace  the  drill  on  Tues- 
days and  Thursdays  with  athletic  exercises. 

Instead  of  fours  right  and  column  left  there  was  to  be 
dashes  and  hurdles,  pole  vaults,  hammer  throwing,  shot 
putting,  wrestling,  base  ball  and  foot  ball.  The  athletic 
fiends  were  in  high  delight — great  things  would  be  done  to 
other  regiments — but  while  all  the  men  were  glad  for  a 
change  they  were  not  looking  for  a  change  of  this  kind;  it 
was  a  change  of  country  and  this  announcement  savored  of 
a  longer  stay  than  the  most  satisfied  had  hoped  for,  but 
the  time  of  departure  was  too  near  at  hand  and  the  author- 
ization of  such  a  programme,  which,  had  it  come  earlier, 
would  have  produced  a  most  excellent  and  acceptable 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


171 


OFF  FOR  THE  MAIL. 

change,  was  too  untimely,  for  in  less  than  two  weeks  prep- 
arations for  "  goin'  home  "  were  in  progress. 

The  next  day,  Saturday,  March  11,  brought  Major 
Kenner,  the  paymaster,  and  also  a  new  order  of  company 
inspection.  Every  tent  was  emptied  and  then  taken  down; 
it  was  the  inspection  order  only,  but  it  looked  like  some- 
thing else,  and  the  yells  sent  up  by  the  boys  made  the 
neighbor  regiments  believe  we  were;  then  the  floors  were 
raised,  the  soil  underneath  them  scratched  and  everything 
left  to  ventilate,  after  which  "as  you  were"  was  executed 
and  inspection  was  over. 

Sunday  was  the  I2th.  The  colonel  and  Major  Smith 
had  gone  to  Mantanzas;  Chaplain  Watts,  of  the  First  Texas, 
preached  in  the  assembly  tent;  the  officers  at  a  meeting  de- 
cided to  give  a  reception,  and  on  Wednesday  the  following 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


invitation  was  sent  to  all  the  officers  of  the  Seventh  Army 
Corps: 

"  The  officers  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Reg- 
iment Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  request  your  presence  on 
Monday  evening,  March  the  twentieth,  at  the  headquarters 
of  the  Corps  of  Engineers. 

"At  eight  o'clock. 
"  Dancing." 

The  rooms  of  the  building  were  handsomely  decorated 
with  branches  of  the  royal  palm,  and  the  affair,  by  all  who 
were  there,  was  pronounced  the  best  kind  of  a  success. 
Light  refreshments  were  served,  and  in  the  court  arbor  a  pe- 
culiar but  excellent  quality  of  lemonade  was  at  the  disposal 
of  all  throughout  the  evening;  the  officers  did  not  stay  late 
and  showed  fine  consideration  for  their  sleeping'  comrades 
by  the  quiet  way  in  which  they  came  into  camp. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  1/3 

On  Monday,  the  I3th,  Lieutenant  John  R.  Ward,  with 
a  detail  of  six  men,  accompanied  Paymaster  Major  Benja- 
min F.  Havens  on  his  pay  trip  among  the  regiments  out- 
side Havana  province.  They  visited  regiments  at  Mantan- 
zas,  Cardenas,  La  Union,  Batabano  and  minor  points,  re- 
turning to  the  regiment  the  26th.  In  January  Lieutenant 
Durbin  and  in  February  Lieutenant  Pitman,  each  with  a 
detail  of  men,  made  similar  trips  with  the  major.  It  was 
an  excellent  opportunity  to  see  the  country  and  a  privilege 
that  every  one  coveted.  The  detail  was  selected  from  the 
One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  each  time,  and  caused 
a  little  concern  on  the  outside,  but  our  friend,  Major  Ha- 
vens, is  a  Hoosier  and  no  other  explanation  is  needed. 

Tuesday,  I4th,  Major  Blow,  of  the  Fourth  Virginia, 
an  officer  of  the  regular  army,  came  into  camp  for  investi- 
gation and  instruction  concerning  the  condition  of  company 
books;  the  officers  gathered  in  the  band  stand  and  with 
mustering  out  in  view  were  carefully  reminded  of  the  exact- 
ness and  completeness  of  all  record  necessary  for  accept- 
ance by  the  authority  on  that  day.  Nothing  of  serious 
consequence  occurred  during  the  next  few  days  save  Kim- 
mel's  white  collar  at  dress  parade  and  the  report  that  sev- 
eral men  strained  their  optic  nerves  looking  out  to  sea  for 
transports. 

For  Friday,  i/th,  a  brigade  review  was  on.  It  was  a 
farewell  review  for  Colonel  Joseph  F.  Armfield,  commander 
of  the  brigade  and  colonel  of  the  First  North  Carolina. 
Colonel  Moulton,  of  the  Second  Illinois  passed  the  brigade 
in  review,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus  was  in  com- 
mand of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first.  Colonel  Arm- 
field  and  his  regiment  left  the  following  day,  a  week,  for 
Savannah,  Georgia.  On  Monday,  2Oth,  instead  of  the 
usual  regimental  parade  the  battalions  were  reviewed  by 
their  respective  commanders. 


1/4  HISTORY    OF    THE 

On  the  evening  of  this  day  th'ere  was  organized  "The 
Society  of  the  Seventh  Army  Corps — Spanish-American 
\Yar, "  of  which  Major-General  Fitzhugh  Lee  was  chosen 
president;  Colonel  Durbin  was  chosen  as  a  member  of  the 
executive  council.  By  article  V  of  the  constitution  "all 
officers  and  soldiers  who  have  served  in  the  Seventh  Army 
Corps  in  the  war  between  the  United  States  and  Spain, 
possessing  a  good  moral  character  and  an  honorable  mili- 
tary record,  shall  be  eligible  to  membership  in  the  society." 

On  Tuesday,  2ist,  at  regimental  parade,  the  regiment 
heard  the  following  notification  was  read  to  them  by  the 
colonel: 

Commanding  General,  Havana,  March  20,  1899. 

Buena  Vista: 

Secretary  of  war  directs  the  Second  Illinois  and  the 
One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  be  prepared  to  go  to 
States  after  regiments  already  ordered  get  away;  you  will 
be  notified  later  when  transport  will  be  ready.  Regiments 
should  get  their  records  complete. 

By  command  of  Major-General  Brooke. 

Signed  RICHARDS, 
Asst.  Adjutant-General. 

The  men  heard  these  words  in  silence  and  marched 
back  to  quarters;  they  wanted  to  go  home,  of  course,  but 
neither  at  this  time  nor  later  when  the  information  was 
definite  as  to  time  did  there  occur  the  joyful  and  noisy 
demonstration  which  characterized  other  regiments  of  men 
under  the  same  circumstances.  The  esprit  dc  corps,  the 
pride  of  reputation,  the  excellent  health  and  fine  feeling  of 
the  men  and  the  entire  environment  made  them  satisfied 
and  the  certainty  of  a  recall  before  the  extreme  heat  set  in 
made  them  willing  to  await  what  the  department  thought 
the  proper  time;  nevertheless  twelve  hundred  glad  hearts 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


175 


beat  under  army  blankets  that  night  and  twelve  hundred 
imaginations  were  busy  living  through  the  scenes  that  were 
soon  tq  occur  in  the  homeland  far  away. 


COMPANY  G  STREET  BY  MOONLIGHT. 

Thursday  was  a  day  of  picture  taking;  the  chaplain 
was  busy  preparing  a  regimental  history  and  Waterman's 
photographer  was  busy  with  his  camera;  it  was  turned 
upon  the  sergeants  and  corporals  and  other  such  groups  as 
could  be  called  together,  and  then  from  an  elevated  con- 
struction hauled  about  in  a  wagon  photographs  of  the  regi- 
ment and  views  of  camp  were  taken.  In  the  afternoon 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus  passed  the  regiment  in  review 
before  Colonel  Durbin,  adjutant  in  command  of  the  First 
Battalion. 

The  next   day  morning  drill   was   replaced  by   camp 


176 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


NEXT  ! 

cleaning,  and  at  parade  the  men  were  told  they  might  be  in 
expectation  of  an  order  to  move  any  day,  and  they  were 
also  given  the  pleasing  information  that  small  boxes  con- 
taining their  additional  effects  in  the  way  of  Cuban  relics, 
etc.,  would  be  transported  for  them. 

In  the  evening  the  First  North  Carolina  men,  who 
were  to  leave  the  following  day,  paid  us  their  parting 
respects  by  way  of  a  noisy  tin  can  serenade;  the  whole 
howling  regiment,  frantic  because  of  home-going,  came 
down  upon  us  and  made  night  hideous  as  they  marched 
through  the  headquarters  and  battalion  streets.  It  was 
indicative  of  the  kindly  feeling  existing  between  the  regi- 
ments of  the  brigade  and  made  our  boys  glad  to  see  the 
North  Carolinians  shout  because  they  were  going  back  ta 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 

the  cotton  and  the  pine  trees  of  their  native  state.  The 
next  day,  Saturday,  25th,  Major  Blow  again  met  with  the 
officers;  in  the  afternoon  Major-General  Brooke  sent  to  the 
commanding  general  at  Buena  Vista  the  following  infor- 
mation which  was  forwarded  to  this  regiment,  in  substance 
that  on  the  29th  and  3Oth  inst.  the  Second  Illinois  was  to 
leave  and  that  efforts  were  then  being  made  to  secure  the 
Ward  line  to  land  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indi- 
ana in  Tampa,  Florida,  by  12  o'clock,  March  31.  On 
the  same  day  all  ammunition  and  extra  ordnance  stores 
were  turned  in  and  Quartermaster  Brunt  took  them  to 
the  government  ordnance  store  at  Fort  Principe. 

On  this  Saturday  an  execution  occurred  under  the 
"  hangman's  tree,"  without  an  account  of  which  and  a  pict- 
ure of  the  tree  the  history  of  the  regiment  would  be  incom- 
plete. The  tree  in  question  grew  especially  to  hang  people 
on;  it  has  only  one  limb  for  the  reason  that  so  continuous 
has  been  the  weight  of  bodies  hanging  from  it  that  all  the 
strength  of  the  tree  must  be  concentrated  in  this  one  limb 
to  be  able  to  bear  the  strain.  The  first  use  of  this  marvel- 
ous tree  was  when  a  band  of  bandits  robbed  a  Spanish 
trading  party  and  hung  them  all  from  the  limb,  tying  the 
ropes  about  the  trunk,  and  then  not  long  thereafter  the  civil 
authorities  having  captured  the  bandits  hung  them  all  in 
turn,  seventeen  of  them,  from  the  self  same  limb;  the  Cubans 
hung  many  a  Spaniard  there  and  in  the  recent  war  the 
number  of  Cubans  strung  up  to  this  noted  limb  varies  ac- 
cording to  report,  some  declaring  fifty ;  others  seventy-three 
and  still  others  one  hundred  and  fifty,  and  no  doubt  Weyler, 
the  assassin  and  butcher,  hung  a  whole  town  of  reconcen- 
trados  to  the  limb  in  question.  The  grass  grows  greener 
under  the  tree  because  the  blood  has  fertilized  the  soil. 
At  night  a  wise  man  always  avoids  passing  it.  Spooks  and 

ghosts  laugh  at  you  with  a  fiendish   laugh  and  apparitions 
12 


1/8  HISTORY    OF    THE 

of  hanging  bodies  dangling  there  knock  against  each  other 
as  they  are  blown  about  by  wind  that  comes  up  from  Playa 
beach. 

On  the  day  in  question  a  man  was  stood  against  the 
tree;  ten  rifles  were  leveled  at  him  twenty  feet  away.  The 
man  could  not  be  recognized  from  camp,  one-quarter  mile 


HANGMAN'S  TREE. 

away  for  his  bandaged  eyes  disguised  him,  but  it  could  be  no 
other  than  the  poor  Louisiana  soldier  who  in  a  drunken  row 
had  killed  a  comrade  and  was  waiting  death  sentence  in 
Marianao  jail.  Would  they  shoot  before  the  men  and  offi- 
cers who  saw  them  could  get  there?  "  After  all  do  I  want 
to  see  a  poor  fellow  shot  down?"  "  My!  its  awful."  "Why 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  1/9 

couldn't  they  give  him  a  life  sentence?"  "I  tell  you  its 
sad,  boys."  "  I  don't  know  whether  I  want  to  go  any 
farther  or  not,  but  if  it's  got  to  be  done  I  guess-  I'll  go  on 
just  to  say  I  saw  it."  But  before  the  men  got  more  than 
half  way  the  fatal  moment  came.  There  came  a  sharp 
metallic  click  and  the  awful  deed  was  done,  the  rifles  were 
lowered  and  the  poor  boy  in  blue  threw  up  his  hands  and— 
took  the  bandage  from  his  eyes — the  photograph  was  taken. 
Under  the  circumstances  it  is  not  policy  to  mention  every 
name,  but  if  Captain  Osborne  and  Captain  Gwinn  and  Major 
Olds  had  caught  Lieutenant  Dority  just  then  another  man 
might  have  been  hung  from  that  famous  tree. 

Monday  forenoon,  the  27th,  an  order  came  calling  for 
a  corps  review,  by  the  secretary  of  war,  that  day  at  4:30 
p.  M.  The  arrival  of  the  secretary  of  war  in  Havana  and 
his  conference  with  the  heads  of  departments  was  an  occa- 
sion of  great  moment  for  the  military  administration  of 
affairs  in  the  island.  The  corps  review  was  held  in  his 
honor;  it  was  the  last  review  of  the  corps,  and  it  was  frag, 
mentary,  there  being  only  seven  regiments,  besides  the 
artillery  and  cavalry,  to  participate.  Seventeen  guns,  the 
proper  salute  for  a  member  of  the  cabinet,  was  fired  by  the 
batteries  as  the  secretary,  with  his  escort,  arrived  upon  the 
field.  The  Fourth  Illinois,  Ninth  Illinois,  Third  Nebraska, 
One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana,  Second  Illinois,  Forty- 
ninth  Iowa  and  Sixth  Missouri  passed  in  review  in  the 
order  named.  The  cavalry  and  artillery  passed  the  review- 
ing stand  twice,  as  usual;  but  this  time,  as  if  it  were  their 
last  opportunity,  showed  the  secretary  and  everybody  else 
how  fast  they  could  go.  It  was  a  fine  exhibition  of  mili- 
tary horsemanship,  and  a  whole  circus  and  hippodrome  to 
see  them  dash  by  with  just  danger  enough  to  make  it  real 
exciting.  In  view  of  who  the  reviewing  officer  was,  the 
One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  had  a  record  to  sus- 


l8O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

tain.  How  eyes  did  open  at  the  sight  of  those  big  compa- 
nies and  straight  lines!  The  secretary  only  said  to  the 
colonel,  as  he  retired,  "  It  beat  Jacksonville  " — three  words 
big  with  meaning. 

In  the  evening  General  Brooke  tendered  the  secretary 
a  reception.  Prominent  officers  of  the  army  and  navy  and 
their  wives  and  many  leading  citizens  were  present.  The 
Seventh  Cavalry  band  furnished  music,  and  the  occasion 
was  one  of  the  most  pleasant  social  events  held  in  the  city 
since  the  evacuation.  While  Colonel  Durbin  was  in 
attendance  at  this  reception,  Major  Megrew  being  in  com- 
mand of  camp,  a  telegram  was  received  stating  that  the 
command  would  leave  camp  at  daybreak  on  Wednesday 
morning  and  embark  on  the  steamship  Logan  for  the 
United  States.  All  next  day  the  camp  was  a  busy  scene 
of  men  hurrying  to  and  fro,  packing  boxes  and  getting 
things  in  readiness  for  the  long  looked  for  and  hoped  for 
event. 

The  evening  was  one  of  preparation  for  the  morning's 
departure.  The  chaplain  was  holding  nightly  services  in 
the  assembly  tent,  and  that  night  was  an  unexpected  fare- 
well service.  Fires  were  consuming  all  combustible  leav- 
ings, and  the  whole  camp  was  lighted  by  the  flames.  There 
was  not  much  sleep  that  night.  The  men's  brains  were 
busy,  and  they  were  restless  for  the  coming  of  the  morn- 
ing. One  man  mistook  2  o'clock  for  5  and  began  to 
wander  about  beating  upon  a  washpan  in  an  attempt  to 
raise  the  camp,  until  either  the  sight  of  the  Third  Bat- 
talion commander  in  his  night  shirt  or  his  mighty  voice 
commanding  silence  scared  the  fellow  back  to  his  cot. 
At  4  A.  M.  reveille  sounded,  a  hasty  but  good  breakfast 
taken,  the  wagons  loaded,  assembly  call  given  at  5:45,  and 
at  6  A.  M.,  promptly,  the  colonel  commanded:  "Forward, 
march!  "  The  wagon  train  had  gone  before,  and  the  regi- 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  l8l 

ment  marched  past  Buena  Vista  Station  and  formed  in  line 
of  masses  before  General  Lee's  headquarters,  where  the 
general  was  standing  to  see  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty- 
first  Indiana  march  away.  Colonel  Durbin  dismounted 
and,  saluting,  said:  "  I  have  the  honor  to  report  the 
departure  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry."  The  colonel  had  in  mind  to  say 
other  things,  but  the  occasion  was  one  of  deep  emotion  and 
he  could  only  grasp  the  old  general's  hand  and  say:  ' '  Good 
bye,  and  God  bless  you!  "  and  he  turned  away.  The  tear 
in  General  Lee's  eye  spoke  for  him  as  he  watched  the 
colonel  mount  and  the  regiment  move  away. 

The  regiment  then  proceeded  out  on  the  road  to  the 
city,  marching  by  way  of  Vedado,  where  they  came  to 
"  port  arms  "  in  passing  General  Brooke  and  other  officers 
before  headquarters,  arriving  at  San  Jose  wharf  at  9:30, 
after  a  three  and  one-half  hours'  march,  where  the  men 
piled  themselves  up  in  the  shade  to  rest  and  wait  for  the 
order  to  move  on  board  the  transport. 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE    DEPARTURE,    VOYAGE    AND    ARRIVAL. 

The  wagon  train  had  come  in  before  them  and  the 
dock  men  were  busy  loading  the  effects  upon  small  flat 
cars,  pushing  them  out  on  the  pier  and  preparing  them  for 
the  hoist  that  carried  them  up  and  down  into  the  two  hatch- 
ways of  the  vessel;  if  the  regiment  and  its  effects  could  be 
on  board  by  4  o'clock  or  thereabouts,  the  transport  was  to 
make  for  Savannah,  which  port  it  could  reach  by  noon  of 
the  3ist  in  time  to  avoid  quarantine;  otherwise  we  were 
to  reach  the  states  by  way  of  Tampa,  and  be  necessarily 
inconvenienced  by  a  ten  days  quarantine. 

To  be  ready  by  any  ways  near  4  o'clock  seemed  impos- 
sible, according  to  the  progress  usually  made  in  moving  a 
regiment  onboard  a  vessel,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  ever  a  trans- 
port was  loaded  with  greater  rapidity  than  this,  and  the  won- 
der is  that  more  boxes  and  a  few  heads  were  not  smashed. 
Boxes,  trunks  and  barrels  were  piled  together  in  the  net 
or  looped  within  a  single  rope,  the  cog  wheel  began  to 
play  and  away  they  went  with  a  swing  and  a  bang  and  a 
chorus  of  Cuban  ejaculations;  they  made  new  bundles 
while  the  one  just  sent  up  swung  in  the  air  above  them. 
Now  and  then  a  bundle  came  back  with  a  smash,  but 
always  missed  a  Cuban,  or  if  it  reached  the  hatchway 
hole  beat  the  rope  to  the  bottom  with  a  bang  and  scat- 
tered their  contents  on  the  floor.  The  boys  lounged 
under  the  wharf  shed  till  3  o'clock  and  then  began  to  board 
the  vessel.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus,  executive  officer 
of  the  vessel,  superintended  their  embarkment. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


183 


SAN  JOSE  ESPIGON  (WHARF.) 

They  came  with  guns  and  knapsacks  and  canteens,  but 
they  came  with  more.  The  beasts  and  the  birds  were 
there;  this  fellow  had  a  dog  and  another  one  a  rabbit  and 
company  F's  snake  charmer  had  his  mammoth  serpents; 
there  were  yellow  breasted  canaries  and  game  roosters, 
green  parrots  in  wire  cages;  one  fellow  had  a  cat  with 
kittens;  he  had  taken  puss  with  him  from  Savannah  and 
while  on  that  productive  soil  she  gave  birth  to  nine  kittens; 
each  one  was  worth  its  weight  in  gold,  for  it  was  born  in 
"  Cuby,"  and  mother  and  all  should  go  back  to  Freedom's 
holy  land;  and  there  were  canes  and  small  portable  boxes 
of  this,  that  and  the  other  thing,  and  what  the  men  didn't 
have  heaven  knows  they  did  have  .in  their  boxes  among  the 
heavy  baggage.  Company  officers  stood  at  the  foot  of  the 
gang  stairway  and  noted  the  men  as  they  passed  and  quite 
a  few  failed  to  pass,  not  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  men, 
but  discharged  soldiers,  fired  teamsters  and  cooks  and  an 


1 84 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


A  FEW  OF  THEM. 

occasional  speculator  who  had  gone  broke,  all  seeking 
passage  back  to  a  better  land.  They  were  a  persevering 
lot  of  fellows  and  when  turned  down  once  would  try  again 
until  some  officer  was  charitable  enough  to  disobey  orders 
and  allow  an  occasional  one  to  slip  along.  A  rope  lad- 
der lowered  for  a  couple  of  late  passengers  brought  up  the 
*  rest  and  all  on  board,  at  5.05  p.  M.,  the  well  loaded  vessel, 
assisted  by  the  tug  Gladisfen,  slowly  turned  its  prow  to  the 
north  and  started  for  the  harbor  exit  close  by  Morro's 
massive  walls. 

The  band  played  "The  Stars  and  Stripes"  and  V'A 
Hot  Time;"  the  vessels  that  lay  at  anchor  in  the  harbor 
filled  the  air  with  the  shrill  noise  of  steam  whistles;  the 
Paris'  decks  were  filled  with  tourists  who  cheered  us  loudly 
as  we  passed;  a  steam  launch  ran  out  to  cheer  us  on  our 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  185 


GOING  ON  BOARD  THE  LOGAN. 

way,  and  the  band  of  the  Resolute  played  "Home,  Sweet 
Home;  "  there  was  a  moment's  quiet  and  a  piercing  Indian 
yell  came  from  behind  that  caused  every  man  on  board  to 
turn  toward  the  wharf;  it  was  "  Broncho  John,"  the  man 
with  the  record  of  the  plains,  a  familiar  figure  in  the  Sev- 
enth Army  Corps,  who  added  a  little  romance  to  its  his- 
tory; he  was  astride  his  horse  at  the  end  of  the  pier  bidding 
us  good-bye  with  his  characteristic  yell  and  a  wave  of  his 
coat,  and  the  boys  returned  it  with  fine  imitation  and  a 
rousing  spirit.  Past  the  Maine,  past  Cabana,  past  Morro 
at  5:23  and  out  into  the  ocean  the  steamship  went  and  we 
were  "  goin'  home."  Things  were  different  than  when  we 
entered;  Cabana's  walls  were  not  lined  with  Spanish  sol- 
diers and  Old  Glory  waved  from  Morro.  Scenes  that 


1 86 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


three  and  a  half  months  before  were  strange  were  then  fa- 
miliar, and  a  mission,  the  idea  and  purpose  of  which  when 
we  first  came  into  such  environments  played  upon  the  emo- 
tions of  the  American  soldiers,  no  longer  moved  him  as 
before,  but  left  him  alone  with  his  musings  of  where  he 
was  going. 

The  vessel  was  a  government  transport,  formerly  the 
Manitoba,  but  re-named  the  Logan.  It  was  four  hundred 
and  fifty-seven  feet  long,  several  feet  shorter  than  the  Mo- 


LOGAN. 

bile,  and,  although  a  comfortable  and  substantial  vessel,  it 
could  hardly  be  called  the  Mobile's  equal.  It  had,  how- 
ever, more  deck  room  for  the  men  than  had  the  Mobile, 
while  the  officer's  quarters  were  smaller.  In  place  of  cots 
for  the  men,  hammocks  were  provided,  which  arrangement 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


I87 


allowed  better  ventilation.  The  vessel  made  sixteen  knots 
an  hour  over  the  bottom,  and  thirteen  and  a  half  feet  through 
the  water,  dropping  anchor  at  the  quarantine  station  in  the 
Savannah  harbor  at  9:15  A.  M.  ,  Friday,  the  3ist — forty 
hours  since  5:05  P.  M.,  Wednesday,  the  29th,  when  the 
line  was  cast  off  at  San  Jose  pier.  From  Savannah  to 
Havana  and  return,  allowing  eight  hours  for  loading,  it 
was  the  fastest  record  yet  made  by  a  government  transport. 
The  sea  was  just  a  trifle  rough  the  first  morning  out,  and 
officers  and  men,  who  had  voluntarily  thrown  up  home 


NOT  FEELING  So  WELL  ! 

and  friends  and  position  for  suffering  Cuba's  sake,  began  to 
throw  up  again  simply  because  they  couldn't  help  it  for 
their  feelings'  sake.  The  sea  grew  calmer  and  the  vessel 
grew  steadier  and  the  politicians,  so  long  out  of  practice, 
realizing  the  early  return  to  their  profession,  called  a  mock 
convention  to  determine  by  their  knavery  the  political  des- 
tiny of  some  of  their  comrades. 


1 88  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Vick  M.  Backus  imposed  himself  upon  the  convention 
as  self-constituted  chairman.  Oratory  was  on  tap  and 
flowed  like  greased  liquid.  Much  opposition  was  encoun- 
tered to  "  old  man  "  Gwinn's  nomination  for  sheriff  of  Rush 
county,  but  the  gallant  old  veteran's  record  of  daring 
bravery  in  the  Mexican  war  was  too  deserving  of  recogni- 
tion, and  at  the  end  of  a  hot  debate,  was  given  the  unani- 
mous nomination  for  said  position.  Percy  Welsh,  of  Hoop- 
pole  township,  Posey  county,  was  made  a  nominee  for 
coroner  of  his  township,  but  so  far  forgot  himself  as  to  in- 
sult the  chairman,  whereupon  Ward,  of  White,  arose  and 
startled  the  convention  by  masterly  eloquence,  in  which  he 
repudiated  the  man  Welsh,  who  quailed  into  speechless- 
ness  under  the  scathing  denunciation.  The  new  discovered 
Demosthenes  closed  his  phillipic  by  placing  Congressman 
Brunt's  protege,  Sam  Cahn,  in  nomination,  who  was 
thereupon  chosen  by  the  convention  amidst  wild  acclama- 
tion. Messages  of  condolence  were  to  invalid  Hudgins 
and  the  convention  adjourned  to  meet  in  the  saloon  at  7:30 
P.M.  Wickliff  Smith  was  unanimously  chosen  chairman,  but 
Backus  intimidated  the  convention  at  the  point  of  weapon 
and  when  Smith  started  for  the  chair  he  found  himself  star- 
into  the  depths  of  a  pistol  in  the  hand  of  the  determined  and 
now  desperate  Backus;  Smith  was  afraid  to  take  his  seat, 
whereupon  he  was  vehemently  denounced  as  a  traitor  to  his 
convictions  a  proceedings  began  with  Backus  in  the  chair. 
Harold  Megrew  and  Albert  D.  Ogborn,  by  appointment  of 
the  previous  sitting,  reported  a  draft  of  resolutions  denounc- 
ing all  intoxicating  liquor  but  whiskey,  advocating  all  kinds 
of  money  as  long  as  there  was  plenty  of  it,  and  granting  the 
toiling  millions  leave  to  toil.  The  scene  that  followed  was 
a  stormy  one.  Waterlilly  Kimmel  led  the  race  for  con- 
gressman of  the  Sixth  district,  and  Ivy,  of  police  fame,  was 
made  the  convention's  choice  for  justice  of  the  peace  of 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  189 

Clark  county.  Welsh  was  there  with  blood  in  his  eye — 
the  time  for  vengeance  came  when  Ward,  of  White 
county,  was  made  a  nominee;  he  defamed  his  charac- 
ter and  his  well-known  reputation  for  honesty  and 
truthfulness  carried  the  opinion  of  the  representatives 
present,  but  when  the  man  from  White  arose  to  acknowl- 
edge his  defeat,  he  did'nt  do  a  thing  to  the  man  from 
Posey,  and  the  convention  adjourned  after  firing  Welsh 
from  the  salon. 

The  next  morning  at  8  o'clock,  the  Logan  was  near- 
ing  the  muddy  mouth. of  the  Savannah  river.  As  she  drew 
near  her  mooring  place  the  indispensable  tugs  were  there 
to  help  the  big  boat  to  her  place.  There  was  the  "  H.  C. 
M.  Smith,"  whoever  that  referred  to,  that  brought  the 
inspecting  surgeon  on  board,  and  there  was  the  "  Daunt- 
less "  of  filibustering  fame,  that  ran  her  twenty  miles  an 
hour  and  cost  the  governments  of  Spain  and  United  States 
so  much  in  vain  endeavor  to  catch  her;  huge  lighters  were 
pushed  alongside  and  the  work  of  unloading  began.  At 
12:10  the  Santee,  a  strange  bulk  of  a  boat  came  and  took 
the  First  Battalion  over  to  the  dread  fumigation  plant  ;what 
they  would  do  to  us  was  the  supreme  query  all  the  way 
from  Cuba.  Strange  stories  of  that  mysterious  place  had 
been  circulated;  the  men  were  to  be  stripped  and  steamed 
until  all  the  Cuban  brown  would  leave  their  skin  and  they 
were  to  go  home  as  fair  faced  as  a  new-born  child.  Some 
of  the  men  had  come  into  possession  of  little  pieces  of 
hardened  shapeless  rubber  purported  to  be  fumigated  but- 
tons— relics  were  to  melt  and  run  together  and  every  par- 
rot, cat,  canary,  rooster  and  dog  would  be  cleansed  beyond 
recognition  if  he  came  out  alive.  The  First  Battalion 
returned  at  3:15  and  all  the  satisfaction  they  gave  the  rest 
was  "what  they'll  do  to  you  '11  be  a  plenty,"  and  they 
were  towed  to  the  city  along  with  the  commissary  goods 


I9O  -  HISTORY    OF    THE 

that  were  not  subject  to  fumigation.  At  4  p.  M.  another 
load  went  over  and  passed  us  on  their  way  to  Savannah, 
with  the  message  "  they  wont  do  a  thing  to  you  when  they 
get  you." 

Night  fell  over  the  Logan,  a  Company  C  man  fell  into 
the  water,  and  in  the  morning  the  rest  of  the  regiment 
started  in  two  bodies  to  the  place  of  torture.  We  were 
first  subjected  to  a  long  wait,  in  which  they  let  loose  on  us 
about  sixty  millions  sand  gnats,  that  bit  and  stung  worse 
than  Morro  fleas;  then  the  men  marched  in  to  an  open 
space  and  prepared  such  baggage  as  they  carried  with  them 
for  the  cauldron.  It  is  only  fair  to  say  the  fumigating 
authorities  had  their  own  way  about  it  all;  not  the  least 
concession  of  any  character  would  they  make  unless  some 
petty  condition  was  complied  with.  If  you  only  had  one 
laundered  shirt  it  must  have  all  the  starch  steamed  out  of 
it  in  the  fumigatory  process,  unless  you  wore  it,  in  which 
case  it  didn't  need  fumigation.  Blankets  which  were  aired 
almost  every  day  must  be  steamed  into  worthlessness,  but 
clothes  and  overcoats  that  hung  for  months  in  the  tents 
passed  without  it.  At  first  men  were  stripped  and  dressed 
in  pajamas  to  stand  around  like  hospital  convalescents, 
while  their  every  piece  of  clothing  went  in  the  cylinder; 
but  this  got  wearisome  for  the  management  and  such  care- 
fulness was  afterward  dispensed  with,  but  such  articles  as 
were  steamed  got  two  hundred  and  twenty  degrees  for 
twenty  minutes,  and  the  most  skeptical  had  but  to  lay  the 
tip  of  his  little  finger  on  them  as  they  emerged  to  be  most 
thoroughly  convinced  that  every  flea,  United  States  gray- 
back  and  every  vermin  of  every  kind,  carrying  concealed 
about  his  person  any  contagious  microbes  of  smallpox  or 
yellow  fever,  had  suffered  a  most  horrible  death;  but  they 
deserved  it  all  for  what  they  did  to  us  in  Cuba.  Any 
leather  that  went  felt  in  awful  little  when  it  came  out,  as 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


IQI 


the  accompanying  cut  will  fully  demonstrate  to  a  careful 
observer. 


Most  leather  goods  were  dipped  in  a  solution  of  water, 
bichloride  of  mercury  and  sodium  chloride  and  dirt,  while 
boxed  articles  were  sprinkled  with  sawdust,  moistened  with 
a  solution  of  formaldehyde  or  some  such  concoction  of  sim- 
ilar name;  it  was  a  big  nuisance  and  a  regular  April  fool  but 
no  doubt  a  great  life  saving  station  and  all  its  attendants 
worthy  a  medal  of  honer  from  its  superintendant  to  the 
small  boy  who  slipped  the  officers  red  chalk  to  O.  K. 
unfumigated  goods,  for  if  those  terrible  microbes  who  came 
with  us,  transportation  free,  from  Cuba  had  ever  got  loose, 
the  entire  south  would  have  been  overwhelmed  with  an 
appalling  loss  of  life.  We  might  in  return  for  courtesy 
received,  suggest  to  its  worthy  proprietors  an  excellent 
motto  "  a  thing  worth  doing  is  worth  doing  well."  Per- 


IQ2  HISTORY    OF    THE 

sonal  fumigation  being  over,  at  2:40,  with  empty  stomachs, 
we  embarked  on  the  Santee  and,  assisted  by  the  Dauntless, 
made  our  way  up  to  the  city  wharf.  Wagons  were  ready 
to  haul  us  to  camp  and  at  6  p.  M.  we  came  up  with  the 
rest  of  the  regiment  gone  on  before,  with  a  camp  laid  out 
on  the  ground  formerly  occupied  by  the  Forty-ninth  Iowa. 
The  tents  were  old  ones  of  every  description,  left  behind 
by  the  regiment  that  had  previously  gone  to  Cuba;  at  camp 
Columbia  we  had  better  tentage  than  any  regiment  in  the 
Seventh  Army  Corps,  besides  the  men,  the  officers  also 
having  each  one  a  large  (hospital)  tent,  but  here  we  tum- 
bled into  what  ever  was  at  hand  and,  unwashed  and 
unkempt,  froze  around  till  our  washpans  and  blankets  were 
released  from  quarantine.  The  regiment  came  over  with- 
out a  sick  man  and  this  deprivation  caused  more  sickness 
than  the  steaming  of  those  imaginary  bacterial  microbes 
ever  prevented,  but  a  soldier  must  have  a  heart  for  any 
fate  and  so  with  hearts  that  were  cheerful  because  the 
time  was  short  and  because  the  stiff  winds  that  chilled  them 
through  and  through  were  American  and  therefore  better 
than  the  balmy  breezes  and  warm  sunshine  of  Cuba,  the 
men  began  the  last  chapter  of  their  experience  in  the  war 
they  had  undertaken  to  assist. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


MUSTERING    OUT    MONTH. 

CAMP  HOMEWARD,  April  2-30,  1899. 
The  evening  of  April  Fool's  day  found  the  regiment 
once  more  together  and  when  Sunday,  the  2d,  dawned,  a 
month  of  hard  work  stared  everybody  in  the  face;  the 
guard  played  guard  mount,  and  next  day  the  regiment 
played  parade,  after  which  the  colonel  said  a  few  words 
and  business  was  on  in  earnest  thereafter.  There  was 
plenty  eating  every  where  and  the  messes  were  never 
formed,  but  at  a  meeting  of  officers  on  the  5th  it  was 
announced  that  suitable  arrangements  could  be  made  with 
the  genial  Holmes  couple  who  had  been  in  the  restaurant 
business  all  the  way  to  Cuba  and  back,  and  a  decision 
reached  which  drew  all  the  regimental  officers  around  their 
well  spread  table  three  times  a  day  for  $5  a  week.  The 
same  day  the  baggage  came  from  the  place  of  its  retention 
by  the  fumigating  authorities.  The  officers  had  gone  frozen 
by  night  and  unkernpt  by  day,  until  the  bedding  and  wash- 
pans  arrived;  the  stuff  came  and  every  man  had  to  hunt  his 
own — it  brought  with  it  a  smell  that  hasn't  left  it  yet  and 
which  so  infected  the  bedding  that  when  a  man  tucked  it 
under  his  nose  for  the  night  he  expected  to  wake  up  in  the 
morning  axphixiated  or  chloroformed  or  in  a  condition 
that  might  be  worse.  But  the  rough  part  of  it  all  was  that 
many  articles  of  value  never  came  at  all;  one  thing  is 
evident,  they  were  either  lost  or  stolen — the  reader  may 
form  his  own  opinion,  but  in  either  case  the  responsibility 
is  not  hard  to  fix. 

13 


194  HISTORY    OF    THE 

The  first  week  was  intensely  chilly,  especially  at  night 
for  men  fresh  from  Cuba,  and  all  the  rusty  oil  stoves  of 
former  Savannah  days  were  started  on  the  burn;  a  certain 
lieutenant  of  Company  F,  with  honors  fresh  upon  him, 
built  his  camp  fire  upon  the  floor  of  his  tent,  but  the  ma- 
jority of  the  officers  spent  the  nights  in  town  previous  to 
the  arrival  of  their  blankets. 

Captain  Beckert,  of  the  Sixteenth  United  States,  the 
mustering  out  officer  for  the  regiment,  had  made  his  ap- 
pearance and  was  busy  with  the  inspection  of  company 
books  and  records.  While  Surgeons  Gerrish  and  Wilson  were 
busy  at  medical  inspection  of  the  Fourth  Virginia  men  the 
men  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  were  marching  by 
companies  to  a  building  in  the  camp  of  the  Two  Hundred  and 
Second  New  York,  where  aboard  of  medical  examiners,  con- 
sisting of  Surgeons  Pead  and  Old,  of  the  Fourth  Virginia, 
and  Tetamore,  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Second  New 
York,  under  direction  of  Surgeon  Howard,  of  the  United 
States  Army,  endeavored  to  find  out  how  many  of  those 
who  enlisted  able  bodied  were  crippled  at  the  close  of  the 
war.  The  men  who  reported  themselves  as  sound  were 
passed  with  little  or  no  examination,  while  those  who  re- 
ported unsound  were  tested  as  to  the  genuineness  of  their 
disability.  The  arrangement  was  a  mutual  protective  con- 
cern; it  began  Friday,  the  /th,  with  Company  G,  and 
ended  Monday,  the  band  and  the  staff  being  examined  the 
last  day. 

The  day  for  turning  in  ordnance  stores  had  been  set 
for  Wednesday,  the  1 2th ;  accordingly,  Tuesday  was  the  last 
day  with  guns  and  good  use  was  made  of  the  time.  At  9 
A.  M.  the  regiment  marched  to  the  Dale  Avenue  camp  with 
the  purpose  of  making  a  regimental  call  on  the  First  North 
Carolina  and  the  Second  Louisiana;  Colonel  Durbin,  in 
a  neat  speech,  spoke  of  the  good  feeling  entertained  by 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  195 

the  Hoosiers  for  the  men  from  Carolina,  of  the  pain  in 
breaking  associations  that  had  been  so  friendly  and  wishing 
Colonel  Armfield  and  his  men  God-speed,  he  said  good-bye 
for  the  regiment.  There  were  cheers  for  the  regiment, 
cheers  for  the  brigade  which  Colonel  Armfield  commanded 
and  cheers  for  the  Seventh  Army  Corps.  Arms  were 
stacked,  and  while  the  men  spent  half  an  hour  talking  of 
Cuba  and  of  home,  the  officers  of  the  regiments  mingled 
in  social  and  farewell  intercourse.  On  the  return  march  a 
like  scene  occurred  at  the  camp  of  the  Second  Louisiana, 
where  the  Indiana  men  were  warmly  welcomed  by  the 
"Tigers"  from  the  south.  Lieutenant-Colonel  DuFour 
made  a  touching  little  speech  which  was  warmly  and  loudly 
applauded  by  the  men  in  ranks.  He  declared  that  he  was 
glad  to  see  that  all  sectional  feeling  had  been  wiped  out  and 
that  the  northern  men  had  it  in  heart  to  thus  visit  the 
regiments  from  the  south  and  wished  that  everything  good 
might  attend  the  Hoosier  boys  as  they  went  back  to  their 
homes  in  the  north. 

Wednesday  was  a  picture  taking  day  and  in  the  midst 
of  the  greatest  rush  of  business,  for  the  order  had  come  for 
the  turning  in  of  all  ordnance  stores;  before  the  captains' 
tents  the  guns  were  stacked  and  the  knapsacks,  haversacks 
and  canteens  were  placed  in  piles  of  five,  and  after  Lieuten- 
ant Guignard,  of  the  Fourth  United  States  Artillery,  had 
passed  along  to  inspect  them  they  were  snugly  packed  away 
in  boxes  and  Uncle  Sam's  wagons  came  along  and  took  them 
away.  Each  company  was  in  possession  of  ordnance 
stores  to  the  amount  of  about  three  thousand  dollars.  Six 
companies  completed  this  work  on  the  I3th,  and  six  on  the 
I4th.  On  the  i3th  the  first  attempt  since  leaving  was 
made  to  mount  the  guard  without  arms;  it  was  not  an  easy 
thing  to  do  and  the  men  that  gathered  round  to  watch  had  a 
little  fun  at  the  guard's  expense.  During  these  days  neither 


196  HISTORY    OF    THE 

pen  can  describe  nor  words  can  tell  the  awful  agony  of  toil 
through  which  the  captains  and  their  clerks  were  passing, 
burning  the  midnight  oil  out  of  their  lamps  and  the  energy 
out  of  their  lives  in  preparing  the  muster  rolls  for  the  men 
to  sign;  there  were  only  five  of  them  for  each  company 
and  the  men  pitched  horse-shoes  while  the  officers  worked 
and  when  they  were  signed,  every  one  of  the  five  by  every 
man  in  the  company,  they  were  subjected  to  a  board  of  ex- 
aminers composed  of  the  lieutenants,  who  labored  through 
them  and  sent  them  back  for  needed  correction. 

For  the  men  the  following  week  was  one  of  monoto- 
nous waiting,  going  out  perhaps  at  drill  time  for  a  little 
exercise  and  spending  the  rest  of  their  time  at  the  popular 
game  of  quoit  pitching  or  in  trying  to  borrow  a  dime  to 
take  them  to  town  and  back.  In  the  forenoon  of  the  lyth 
the  officers  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixtieth  Indiana  paid 
their  respects  to  the  regiment  by  a  visit  to  its  officers. 
They  called  at  the  colonel's  tent  where  it  was  suggested 
that  Chaplain  Vigus,  .of  the  visiting  regiment,  excuse  him- 
self in  order  to  call  on  the  chaplain  of  the  One  Hundred 
and  Sixty-first,  who  was  at  that  time  in  his  own  tent; 
the  chaplain  considerately  did  so. 

In  the  evening  of  this  day  the  flag  pole  that  was  set  up 
in  front  of  Colonel  Bryan's  headquarters  at  Camp  Cuba 
Libre  in  place  of  the  one  that  was  not  set  up  met  with  a 
sad  fate;  other  men  have  secured  lumber  for  canes,  but  it 
was  in  the  bright  light  of  day,  but  this  was  done  under  the 
cover  of  night;  it  only  goes  to  show  what  crimes  are  com- 
mitted in  the  name  of  politics;  the  said  flagpole  had  come 
all  the  way  from  Jacksonville  intact,  but  <  the  Bryanitically 
inclined  officers  who,  in  army  life  generally,  live  pretty 
close  to  where  the  flag  pole  ought  to  go,  could  not  resist 
the  temptation  to  reduce  it  to  walking-stick  lengths  which 
will  now  come  into  possession  of  Bryan  disciples  and  16  to  i 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  1 97 

will  make  them  believe  all  the  harder  in  his  princi- 
ples because  they  have  a  cane  made  from  his  flag  pole, 
and  Major  Smith  is  willing  to  leave  it  to  all  sound 
thinking  people  if  that  was  not  a  greater  crime  than 
losing  eighteen  dollars  on  a  bluff  or  smuggling  mahogany 
posts  out  of  a  hospital  tent. 

The  nextuday  the  colonel  went  to  Washington;  the 
men  did  not  know  exactly  for  what,  but  they  knew  all 
railroad  agents  had  been  forbidden  to  do  business  in  the 
regiment  and  they  were  a  little  curious  and  anxious  to  know 
what  the  commanding  officer  would  have  to  say  when  he 
returned;  he  came  back  on  Sunday,  the  23d,  and  after 
dinner  the  officers'  call  was  blown  and  the  Colonel  told 
them  in  substance  the  purpose  and  result  of  his  mission. 
It  had  resulted  in  an  invitation  from  the  President  of  the 
United  States  for  this  regiment  to  return  home  by  way  of 
Washington,  at  which  place  he  would  take  pleasure  in 
reviewing  it.  The  Secretary  of  War  had  also  expressed  a 
desire  to  see  again  the  regiment  whose  splendid  appearance 
and  marching  had  called  from  him  on  previous  occasions 
words  of  such  high  commendation.  The  trip  was  to  cost 
the  men  no  more  than  a  ticket  the  shortest  way  home  and 
would  afford  to  them  perhaps  the  opportunity  of  their  life- 
time to  see  the  capital  city  of  the  nation  with  its  interest- 
]ng  and  historical  sights.  The  officers  then  gave  an  expres- 
sion, after  which  the  men  were  called  before  the  colonel, 
and  he  told  them  the  same  things  requesting  them  to  think 
the  matter  over  and  give  their  company  commanders  an 
expression  at  retreat  and  roll  call.  It  was  accordingly 
done  and  the  answer  came  in  an  almost  unanimous  desire 
to  accept  the  President's  invitation. 

The  next  morning  witnessed  a  new  departure  in  the 
guard  mount:  Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus  was  officer  of  day, 
Major  McGrew  mounted  the  guard.  Adjutant  Tichenor  was 


198 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


acting  sergeant  major,  and  the  captains  accompanied  each 
the  detail  of  men  from  his  company;  the  boys  expected  o 
have  a  laugh  but  the  major  fooled  them;  however,  they 
had  it  the  next  morning  when  Colonel  Durbin  was  made 
officer  of  the  .day  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus  took  his 
turn  at  mounting  the  guard;  the  boys  meant  no  discourtesy 
to  their  superior  officer,  but  they  simply  couldn't  help  but 
laugh.  In  the  morning  Lieutenant  Johnson  distinguished 
himself  by  championing  the  cause  of  the  despised  and 
abused  colored  woman.  The  Fourth  Virginia  men  were 
engaged  in  the  unmanly  and  shameful  conduct  of  tossing 
a  poor  defenseless  colored  washerwoman  in  a  blanket. 
For  shame!  Let  it  be  a  man.  boys,  even  though  he  be  white, 


but  a  woman  is  a  woman,  be  her  color  what  it  may,  and  a 
good  black  woman  is  a  thousand  times  better  than  a  bad 
white  one.  The  Savannah  Morning  News  of  the  2/th, 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  1 99 

said:  "  It  was  reported  last  night  that  a  woman  who  was 
in  a  delicate  condition  was  tossed  in  the  Fourth  Virginia 
camp  day  before  yesterday,  and  that  yesterday  she  died." 
How  true  this  report  was  we  do  not  know,  but  apart  from 
any  serious  consequence  the  act  was  a  disreputable  out- 
rage, indecent  and  disgusting,  and  the  conduct  of  those 
men  a  disgrace  to  their  own  color;  to  a  man  of  true  senti- 
ment it  was  funny,  but  gratifying,  to  see  the  colored  wash- 
woman run  to  the  Indiana  camp  because  she  knew  the 
Hoosiers  would  protect  her. 

On  April  the  loth  General  Lee  had  issued  his  last 
General  Order  to  that  portion  of  the  Seventh  Army  Corps 
still  in  Cuba.  It  was  as  follows: 

HEADQUARTERS  SEVENTH  ARMY.  CORPS,  } 

CAMP  COLUMBIA, 
HAVANA,  CUBA,  April  10,    1899.  ) 

GENERAL  ORDERS  No.   24. 

The  order  has  been  received  which  moves  the  last  regi- 
ment of  the  Seventh  Corps  across  the  sea  to  be  mustered 
out  of  the  service  of  the  United  States.  The  ranks  of  its 
organization  are  forever  broken.  The  record  made  by  the 
officers  and  men  will  be  forever  preserved.  The  pages  of 
military  history  of  their  country  will  inscribe  the  deeds  of 
no  troops  who  won  a  greater  reputation  for  discipline,  drill, 
and  manly  discharge  of  duty,  soldierly  conduct  and  cheer- 
ful obedience  to  all  orders. 

The  President's  assurance,  had  the  war  with  Spain 
continued,  that  the  Seventh  Corps  would  have  been  selected 
to  lead  the  assault  upon  the  Havana  lines,  proves  that  the 
Corps  possessed  the  confidence  of  the  Commander-in-Chief 
of  the  Army  and  Navy,  a  confidence  shared  by  his  fellow 
countrymen. 

It  is  gratifying  to  review  the  career,  and  remember  the 


2OO  HISTORY    OF   THE 

harmony  which  existed  among  the  forty  thousand  soldiers 
who  answered  the  roll-call  at  Tampa,  Jacksonville,  Savan- 
nah, and  Cuba.  Whether  it  were  the  "Volunteers"  who 
afterwards  at  various  times  broke  ranks,  and  resumed  the 
duties  of  American  citizenship,  or  the  "Regulars,"  whose 
standards  are  still  flying,  and  who  are  now  the  advance 
sentinels  of  American  progress  and  civilization, — sol- 
diers of  the  North  and  South  took  the  sunshine  and 
storm  of  camp  together,  and  marched  side  by  side  under 
one  flag,  in  one  cause,  for  one  country. 

Their  cordial  support  and  unvarying  kindness  to  the 
Corps  Commander  will  be  gratefully  cherished,  and  though 
his  military  connection  with  comrades  and  soldiers  be 
severed,  the  connection  that  binds  him  to  what  concerns 
their  lives,  their  prosperity  and  success  in  days  that  are  to 
come  will  never  be  broken. 

May  health  and  happiness  crown  their  days,  and  when 
their  thoughts  sometimes  wander  back  to  Camps  Cuba 
Libre,  Onward,  and  Columbia,  may  their  hearts  beat  quicker 
as  they  remember  they  once  marched  under  the  banners  of 
the  Seventh  Army  Corps. 

FITZHUGH  LEE, 
Major  General  U.  S.  Volunteers,  Commanding. 

This  order  was  communicated  to  the  One  Hundred 
and  Sixty-First  Indiana  Volunteer  Regiment  by  the  Col- 
onel on  the  morning  of  the  22nd  and  with  it  came  also  his 
own  last  General  Order: 

HEADQUARTERS  i6ist  IND.  VOLUNTEER  INFANTRY,  ) 

IN  CAMP  NEAR  SAVANNAH,  GEORGIA,      v 

April  22,    1899.  ) 

GENERAL  ORDER  No.   8. 

In  communicating  to  you  General  Order  No.  247, 
Havana,  Cuba,  April  10,  which  is  the  farewell  order  of  our 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  2OI 

recent  corps  commander,  General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  your  com- 
manding officer  desires  to  add  his  personal  testimony,  and 
convey  to  you  in  order  his  parting  words  of  commendation  of 
your  services  to  your  country — leaving  your  homes  and  your 
civil  pursuits  with  only  one  thought  and  ambition,  and  that 
to  answer  the  call  of  our  President  to  maintain  the  honor 
of  our  flag  and  punish  the  insult  offered  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  battleship  Maine  and  the  murder  of  part  of  her 
gallant  officers  and  crew.  You  gave  to  the  world  that  you 
were  ready,  willing  and  anxious  to  make  any  sacrifice  re- 
quired of  you,  coming  as  you  did  unacquainted  and  unedu- 
cated in  military  affairs  or  training  and  attaining  to  a  high 
degree  of  proficiency  speaks  more  than  words  of  mine  can 
convey.  Your  services  have  been  truly  honest  and  faith- 
ful; by  your  intelligence,  desire,  devotion  and  hard  work, 
you  were  quickly  made  acquainted  with  the  details  of  drills 
and  maneuverings  necessary.  By  your  conduct  and  sol- 
dierly deportment  and  bearing  you  attracted  to  your- 
selves favorable  notice.  In  your  camp  conditions,  in  which 
none  excelled  you  in  neatness,  tidiness  and  sanitary  condi- 
tions, you  received  the  favorable  commendation  of  your  su- 
eriors.  In  your  drills,  tactics,  parades  and  reviews  you  have 
had  the  plaudits  of  men,  the  compliments  and  highest  praise 
of  officers  of  the  highest  grade,  including  the  Honorable  Sec- 
retary of  War.  These  favorable  expressions  belong  to  you. 
They  have  been  honestly  and  honorably  earned  and  will  be 
pleasant  memories  in  years  to  come.  You  are  not  return- 
ing to  your  homes  battle-scarred,  and  I  believe  I  voice  the 
feeling  of  each  one  of  you  when  I  say  that  our  regret  is  that 
no  opportunity  was  afforded  to  add  to  honors,  bravery  and 
gallantry  under  fire  and  in  battle,  and  we  must  quit  the 
service  with  the  consolation  that  what  was  given  us  to  do 
we  did  cheerfully  and  to  the  best  of  our  ability.  In  part- 
ing as  soldiers,  let  us  always  cherish  the  kindliest  feeling 


2O2  HISTORY    OF    THE 

and  consideration  for  each  other,  that  feeling  of  comrade- 
ship which  in  after  years  will  link  us  together  as  brothers. 
In  going  to  your  homes  in  the  pursuits  of  civil  life  carry 
with  you  the  assurance  of  your  colonel  that  you  are  en- 
shrined in  his  heart's  affections  and  for  each  officer  and  man 
of  the  regiment  he  has  the  highest  personal  regard  and  his 
prayers  and  strong  desire  shall  always  be  for  your  welfare, 
and  wherever  you  may  go  may  heaven's  choicest  blessings 
be  yours. 

Thanking  you  for  your  willing  obedience  to  orders  and 
requirements,  whatever  their  character,  at  all  times. 

YOUR  COLONEL. 

On  Wednesday  evening  the  officers  were  the  guests  of 
Colonel  Durbin  at  an  elaborately  spread  banquet  in  the  ban- 
quet hall  of  the  DeSoto.  Sergeant-Major  Starr  was  the 
ranking  officer  in  camp  and  between  the  hours  of  7:30  p. 
m.  and  I  a.  m.  wore  his  "blushing  honors  full  upon  him" 
in  a  manner  becoming  the  only  sergeant-major  who  ever 
commanded  a  regiment.  The  officers  went  to  the  city  at 
7:30  in  two  cars  especially  reserved  for  them  at  Liberty 
street,  marched  to  the  hotel  and  were  soon  gathered  around 
tables  formed  in  a  hollow  square  and  most  beautifully  dec- 
orated with  potted  flowers.  It  was  a  notable  and  joyous 
occasion,  every  man  was  happy,  and  yet  every  one  was 
touched  with  a  solemn  feeling  as  they  realized  that  the 
gathering  was  a  farewell  one  and  that  the  associations  that 
had  for  the  past  ten  months  bound  them  together  were 
about  to  be  broken  and  the  habiliment  of  the  soldier  laid 
aside  for  the  dress  of  civil  life.  Between  the  servings 
there  was  jovial  conversation  and  fun  poked  at  everybody, 
and  at  the  close  of  the  repast  the  following  toasts  were 
responded  to: 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  2O3 

The   American  Soldiers — Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus. 

The  Volunteer  Soldier — Captain  Ogborn. 

Indiana  and  her  Soldiers — Captain  Fortune. 

The  Indiana  National  Guard — Major  Megrew. 

Our  War  with  Spain — Lieutenant  Welsh. 

Phenastine,  and  why  he  fed  us  Quinine — Major  Smith, 
followed  by  Lieutenants  Gerrish  and  Wilson. 

The  Old  Army  Mule — Quartermaster  Brunt. 

Cuba  and  her  Senoritas — Lieutenant  Ward. 

The  Value  of  a  Pair  of  Deuces — Captain  Scott. 

What  we  Should  Think  of  Ourselves  as  Soldiers  and 
Citizens — Chaplain  Biedervvolf. 

How  we  Won  a  Home — Major  Olds. 

The  Lieutenant  and  How  He  Got  There — Lieuteuant 
Comstock. 

How  the  Tenth  Infantry  made  Good  Soldiers — Lieu- 
tenant Owens. 

The  Folks  at  Home — Captain  Guthrie. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Volunteer  Infantry- 
Col.  Winfield  T.  Durbin. 

It  was  one  of  those  long-to-be-remembered  events; 
everything  was  said  that  could  be  said  and  just  those 
things  that  should  have  been  said;  and  it  is  needless  to 
here  state  the  deep  appreciation  of  every  one  present  for 
the  regard  and  courtesy  shown  to  them  by  their  com- 
manding officer.  The  hour  hand  was  at  the  smallest 
figure  on  the  dial  when  the  evening  was  over  and  the  offi- 
cers returned  to  camp. 

The  hard  work  had  slowly  come  to  an  end  and  the 
few  remaining  days  gave  to  every  one  a  chance  to  make 
any  desirable  purchases  in  the  city  and  to  pack  everything 
in  readiness  for  the  coming  of  the  great  day.  Arrange- 
ments had  been  made  for  the  trip  to  Washington,  the  regi- 
mental horses  were  sent  north  over  the  shortest  way,  the 


2O4  HISTORY    OF    THE 

officers  had  sworn  before  Captain  Beckurts  concerning 
their  responsibility  for  government  property  and  there  was 
nothing  more  to  do. 

The  last  regimental  formation  was  held  in  the  open 
space  by  the  road.  The  battalions  formed  three  sides  of 
a  hollow  square  and  the  colonel  spoke  to  them.  He  first 
told  them  all  about  the  arrangements  for  leaving;  the  mus- 
tering-out  was  to  begin  at  9  o'clock  the  following  morning, 
after  which  the  men  would  be  paid  and  be  at  liberty,  all 
reporting  at  2  o'clock  at  the  Plant  System  depot  ready  to 
start;  he  gave  to  the  officers  such  instruction  by  which  they 
Avere  to  effect  with  order  and  dispatch  the  business  of  the 
morrow.  He  then  spoke  a  few  words  of  parting  to  the 
regiment  asking  that  all  grievances  be  laid  aside  and 
that  the  spirit  of  manliness  which  had  characterized  them 
in  their  military  career  go»  with  them  into  civil  life.  He 
wished  them  all  God  speed  and  asked  that  if  in  the  future 
by  reason  of  their  changed  uniform  he  should  fail  to  rec- 
ognize them  they  should  pull  his  coat  tail  and  tell  him  who 
they  were  and  he  would — the  chaplain  standing  near 
deterred  him  he  said  from  saying  what  he  would  do. 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus  called  the  officers  to  the  front 
and  told  Colonel  Durbin  of  a  meeting  of  the  regimental 
officers  at  which  two  committees  were  appointed,  one  of 
which  was  then  ready  to  report.  The  other  committee 
appointed  for  the  purpose  of  selecting  a  suitable  remem- 
brance for  the  regimental  commander  was  reported  at  a 
later  date  after  muster-out,  but  Major  Olds,  chairman  of 
the  committee  on  resolutions,  stepped  out  and  addressed 
the  colonel  in  the  following  appropriate  remarks: 

COLONEL  DURBIN:  The  meeting  which  brings  us  here 
this  afternoon  is  indeed  a  sad  one.  We  come  here  know- 
ing it  is  to  be  the  last  formation  of  an  organization  which 
has  grown  dear  to  the  hearts  of  each  and  every  one  of  us. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  2O5 

Friendships  formed  in  the  army  are  stronger  than 
those  formed  under  any  other  circumstances.  This  is 
doubly  true  of  the  friendships  formed  in  this  regiment. 
Ten  months  ago  when  we  assembled  in  the  city  of  Indian- 
apolis for  the  purpose  of  organization  scarcely  any  of  us 
had  acquaintances  in  the  regiment  outside  of  those  mem- 
bers who  came  from  the  immediate  vicinities  of  our  home 
towns.  We  go  forth  bearing  friendships  stronger  than  any 
we  have  ever  formed.  There  are  many  circumstances 
which  have  brought  this  about,  but  we,  the  officers  of  this 
regiment,  believe  it  mainly  due  to  the  untiring  devotion 
and  the  efficient  and  honorable  methods  pursued  by  our 
regimental  rommander.  True  we  have  put  forth  our  best 
efforts  and  have  tried  to  do  our  duty,  but  all  that  would 
have  gone  for  naught  had  we  not  had  an  efficient  and  ca- 
pable leader, — but  we  had  such  a  leader — a  leader  who  by 
the  strength  of  his  personality,  by  the  earnestness  of  his 
purpose  and  by  the  support  which  he  was  able  to  com- 
mand, could  unify  and  strengthen  our  efforts. 

Moved  by  these  sentiments,  we,  the  officers  of  the 
regiment,  offer  you  the  following  resolutions. 

The  following  resolutions  were  then  read  and  handed 
to  the  colonel: 

WHEREAS,  The  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Regiment 
of  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  has  been  brought  to  a  high 
degree  of  efficiency  through  the  energetic  and  telling  efforts 
of  Colonel  Winfield  T.  Durbin.  Therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  ist,  That  we,  the  officers  of  the  regiment, 
express  to  Colonel  Durbin  our  friendship,  loyalty  and  grati- 
tude for  his  untiring  devotion  to  the  welfare  of  his  com- 
mand. 

2d,  That  we  are  profoundly  grateful  to  him  for  the 
sacrifices  he  has  made  in  response  to  the  dictates  of  patri- 


2O6  HISTORY    OF    THE 

otism  and  for  his  many  acts  of  kindness  and  consideration 
shown  us. 

3d,  That  in  the  muster  out  of  the  regiment,  the 
Volunteer  Army  loses  a  faithful,  energetic  and  able  com- 
manding officer;  the  officers  and  men  a  true  and  noble 
friend. 

4th,  That  though  he  is  called  upon  to  lay  aside  the 
habiliments  of  a  soldier  for  duties  of  a  citizen,  we  wish  him 
unbounded  success  in  civil  pursuits,  and  that  our  hearts 
will  ever  be  with  him. 

LEE  M.   OLDS, 
RICHARD  W.  BUCHANAN, 
JOHN^R.  WARD, 
OLIVER  M.  TICHENOR, 
JAMES  W.   FORTUNE, 
Committee  on  Resolutions. 

It  was  evident  that  these  words  had  gone  to  the  right 
spot  and  moved  the  colonel  with  deep  feeling,  and  after  a 
moment's  pause  he  responded  with  words  of  thanks  and  ap- 
preciation for  what,  he  said,  he  felt  was  more  than  he  de- 
served. The  men  went  back  to  their  tents  and  after  sup- 
per every  one  sat  up  long  into  the  hours  of  night  reluctant 
to  retire  because  they  knew  it  was  the  last  night  they 
would  sleep  as  soldiers.  The  tension  of  strict  discipline 
was  of  course  relaxed  and  the  first  half  of  the  night  was 
made  noisy  with  the  songs  of  happy  soldiers,  and  only 
when  the  repertoire  of  familiar  songs  was  exhausted,  the 
past  ten  months  retrospected,  and  the  future  prospected, 
did  the  men  roll  into  their  blankets  for  the  purpose  of 
trying  to  sleep  till  morning. 

Early  in  the  day  that  followed,  the  big  affair  began. 
Talk  about  hustling — the  day  saw  it  in  all  its  fury.  The 
place  was  turned  into  a  scene  much  like  a  county  fair. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  2O/ 

Peddlers  of  every  description  were  on  hand.  Trunk  selling 
was  the  chief  paying  business,  and  before  the  camp  was  up 
great  piles  of  trunks  had  been  hauled  into  the  grounds  and 
arranged  by  sizes  ready  for  the  men  to  take  their  pick. 
Waterman  had  a  special  tent  in  a  conspucious  place,  and 
his  big  sign  for  Cuban  photographs  helped  his  business  out 
and  the  side  show  appearance  of  the  affair  as  well.  On  three 
of  the  headquarters  tents  were  huge  colored  signs  telling 
the  boys  where  to  get  their  tickets  while  the  ticket  wagon 
was  ready  to  wait  on  all  who  were  going  direct  home. 

Aunt  Chloe  was  there  with  her  melodious  voice  cry- 
ing "nice  cool  lemonade,  two  glasses  for  five,"  while 
another  with  huskier  tones  cried,  ' '  hyar's  de  place  whar  you 
git  your  lemon  pies;  dey  is  as  fresh  as  you  make  'em  an 
dey  haint  no  joke  'bout  dat  neither."  Other  edibles  were 
carried  about  mixed  up  with  sand  that  filled  the  baskets 
because  of  a  spanking  wind  that  whizzed  around  the  tents  and 
peppered  everything  with  flying  dust.  At  every  tent  door 
was  a  sable  face  inquiring  if  dey  was  any  old  thing  de  sol- 
dier wa'nt  gwine  to  tote  up  north;  and  the  old  Confederate 
loon  was  there  cackling  for  a  nickle,  and  if  he  got  it  he 
God-blessed  you  and  said  you  had  a  true  soldier's  heart  for 
helping  a  poor  old  Confed.,  and  if  he  didn't  get  it  he  said  it 
the  other  way  and  said  you  had  a  stingy  heart  like  every 

other  d d  Yankee  in  the  army.  The  photograph  man 

was  there,  the  venders  of  relics  and  of  parrots  were  there, 
and  of  canaries  and  dogs  too,  all  warranted  to  have  come 
from  Cuba.  Three  paymasters  were  on  the  ground,  one 
in  each  of  the  battalion  commander's  tents. 

Promptly  at  9  o'clock  the  procession  began.  It  was 
started  by  Company  A.  They  lined  up  by  the  mustering- 
out  office,  the  captain  called  the  roll  and  each  man  cried 
"here"  and  stepped  out  at  the  sound  of  his  name  to  fall  in 
a  new  double  rank  forming  at  right  angles  to  the  first — this 


2O8  HISTORY    OF    THE 

was  all — he  was  mustered  out.  Then  in  line  for  his  pay; 
then  at  the  proper  place  for  his  railroad  ticket  and  off  ta 
the  city  to  await  the  starting  of  the  train  to  Washington. 
It  was  i  o'clock  before  the  staff  and  band  were  paid;  the 
camp  was  rapidly  being  deserted,  hacks  were  in  demand 
and  the  once  private  was  as  swell  as  the  swellest  in  his 
transit  to  the  city. 

One  by  one  with  a  parting  glance  the  soldiers  left  the 
place — camp  life  was  over,  a  strange  feeling  filled  the  men 
— no  one  could  say  "do  this"  or  "do  that"  and  every 
one  did  what  he  chose  to  do. 

For  an  hour  a  great  crowd  of  soldiers  surged  about  the 
Plant  System  depot.  Those  unable  to  get  tickets  at  camp 
after  much  trying  of  the  patience,  got  them  here.  The 
fact  is,  the  regiment  had  too  much  executive  ability  that 
worked  too  well  for  the  railroads.  They  did  not  under- 
stand how  it  could  be  done  and  were  not  prepared  to  take 
their  part  as  per  agreed  calculations. 

At  2:10  P.  M.  the  first  section  moved.  It  carried 
Companies  A,  I,  L  and  M;  also  Colonel  Durbin,  Majors 
Smith  and  Olds  and  Lieutenants  Brunt  and  Tichenor. 
The  second  section  started  at  2:40  p.  M.,  loaded  with 
Companies  F,  G,  H  and  C;  Major  Megrew,  Lieutenant 
Wilson  and  Chaplain  Biederwolf  accompanied  this  section. 
The  third  section  left  soon  after,  carrying  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Backus,  Lieutenant  Gerrish  and  the  remaining 
companies. 

Three  trains  full  of  happy  soldiers — a  few  happy  sol- 
diers full  too,  but  in  general  an  orderly  set  of  fellows  who 
did  not  steal  silver  spoons  from  railway  restaurants  and 
always  paid  for  what  they  ate — three  big  crowds  of  happy 
Hoosiers  on  their  way  to  Washington — alas  so  soon  to  be 
disappointed!  It  was  very  evident  we  had  met  our  Water- 
loo simply  because  an  honorable  contract  was  made  with  a 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  2OQ 

concern  that  had  no  conscience.  The  railroad  concern 
had  no  intention  of  carrying  out  their  contract;  it  was  a 
shameful  robbery  by  an  unprincipled  management.  The 
baggage  car  arrangement  for  preparing  coffee  was  a  decep- 
tion; water  and  other  needful  things  could  not  be  pro- 
cured half  of  the  time,  but  all  the  inconveniences  could 
have  been  endured  with  little  complaint  had  any  effort 
been  made  to  get  the  train  to  its  destination  with  any  rea- 
sonable limit  of  the  appointed  time.  The  trains  dragged 
along  the  rails  at  a  freight  train  rate  and  side  tracked  for 
everything  that  had  a  whistle  to  it,  and  instead  of  arriving 
at  Washington  at  9  A.  M.,  the  first  section  pulled  in  at  4:30 
p.  M.,  the  second  two  hours  later,  and  the  third  corres- 
pondingly behind  the  second.  Great  preparations  had 
been  made  for  the  reception;  crowds  had  gathered  around 
the  White  House  long  before  noon  and  waited  until  long  in 
the  afternoon,  and  after  waiting  in  vain  they  left  the  place 
where  the  reception  was  to  occur — the  regiment  did  not 
come.  The  Indianans  at  Washington  were  as  disappointed 
as  the  regiment;  they  had  taken  much  pains  in  the  matter 
and  were  going  to  do  the  affair  in  a  way  worthy  of  Hoosiers, 
but  the  railroad  had  the  soldiers'  money  and  it  was  no  con- 
cern of  theirs  i^Jicn  the  soldiers  got  to  the  place  they  had 
paid  to  go.  However,  had  the  regiment  arrived  on  time  a 
disappointment  would  still  have  been  in  store  for  it.  Every 
arrangement  had  been  made  as  Colonel  Durbin  had 
announced,  but  unforeseen  circumstances  prevented  Presi- 
dent McKinley  from  returning  to  the  capital  on  the  day 
appointed  for  the  reveiw. 

The  following  telegrams  will  be  of  interest  in  this  con- 
nection: 

14 


2IO  HISTORY    OF    THE 

"WASHINGTON,  D.  C, ,  April  29,  1899. 

"  To  Colonel  Durbin,  One   Hundred  and  Sixty-first    Indi- 
ana Volunteer  Infantry,  Savannah,  Georgia. 
"  Upon  arrival  of  your  regiment  at  Washington,  Presi- 
dent will  review  it  at  portico  of  White  House,  and   after- 
wards receive  members  in  the  east  room   of  the   executive 
mansion;   please  give  early  notification  of  time  of  depart- 
ure, route  traveled  and  expected  hour    of  arrival  in  W7ash- 
ington.      Acknowledge. 

"HEISTAND,  Assistant  Adjutant-General." 

On  the  train  going  to  Washington  the  colonel  received 
the  following  not  far  from  Fredericksburg: 

"WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  May  i,  1899. 
"Colonel  Durbin:  Your  telegram  stating  you  will 
arrive  at  4  o'clock  received.  The  President  is  unavoidably 
detained  in  New  York  and  will  not  be  home  until  to-mor- 
row. Secretary  of  War  also  absent  from  city.  These 
facts  are  communicated  to  you  to  enable  you  to  determiue 
upon  your  line  of  action.  Acknowledge  receipt. 

"HEISTAND,  Assistant  Adjutant-General." 

The  pleasure  and  satisfaction  of  the  review  would 
thus  have  failed  the  regiment  in  any  event  of  arrival,  but 
the  rest  of  an  interesting  program  could  have  been  car- 
ried out  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  The 
first  section  was  met  by  the  marine  band  and  escorted  to 
the  White  House.  Before  entering  the  colonel  told  the 
men  of  his  own  bitter  disappointment,  which  was  perhaps 
greater  than  that  of  the  men. 

The  second  section  came  in  not  long  before  the  first 
was  ready  to  depart,  and  later  the  third.  The  first  section 
left  about  7  o'clock.  The  men  of  the  other  sections  spent 
some  time  about  the  city,  and  near  midnight  and  morning 
started  west,  the  trains  breaking  up  at  Cincinnati  and 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  211 

Louisville.  Company  M  left  the  first  section  at  Cin- 
cinnati and  Companies  I,  L  and  A  came  on  to  Indianapolis 
with  the  colonel.  Expected  here  in  the  evening  as  per 
scheduled  time,  again  extensive  preparations  were  made 
for  the  reception  of  these  three  companies.  In  the 
State  House  a  stand  trimmed  with  the  colors  had  been 
erected  for  music  and  speakers,  a  supper  had  been  prepared 
and  waiting  for  the  train  that  did  not  come  was  next  in 
order.  Early  in  the  morning  we  awoke  and  found  that  the 
train  had  actually  arrived  in  Indianapolis.  At  6  A.  M.  the 
boys  marched  to  the  State  House  where  the  good  ladies 
who  had  lost  all  the  night's  sleep  waiting,  had  come  at  this 
early  hour  to  give  the  boys  their  breakfast.  The  boys 
were  ravenously  hungry  and  after  being  assured  that  any 
one  of  them  who  choked  to  death  would  be  given  a  pen- 
sion, they  went  at  the  table  in  a  way  that  always  pleases  a 
woman  when  she  has  worked  hard  to  prepare  a  good  meal. 
Breakfast,  over  Governor  Mount,  who,  with  his  good  wife, 
had  come  so  early  to  the  State  House  to  meet  the  boys, 
stood  to  address  them.  He  told  the  men  how  proud  the 
state  was  of  the  regiment  to  which  they  had  belonged, 
and  gave  them  in  the  name  of  the  commonwealth  a  cor- 
dial welcome  home.  Colonel  Durbin  responded,  first 
thanking  the  ladies  for  their  goodness  and  then  emphasizing 
the  fact  that  the  regiment  had  tried  to  do  its  duty  well;  he 
then  presented  to  the  state  through  the  Governor  the  regi- 
mental colors  and  the  flag.  Governor  Mount  briefly 
responded,  telling  the  men  the  flags  would  be  kept  in  the 
State  House  where,  when  in  the  city,  they  could  come 
and  look  upon  them.  Senator  Fairbanks  then  spoke  briefly 
and  after  the  men  made  the  marble  corriders  ring  and  echo 
with  rousing  cheers,  they  went  slowly  back  to  their  train. 
From  this  time  on  the  experience  of  one  company  was 
the  experience  of  them  all,  and  something  like  the  experi- 


212  HISTORY    OF    THE 

ence  of  Company  Q,  of  the  Two  Hundredth  Indiana,  in 
which  Si  Klegg  was  a  corporal.  "The  Company  Q  boys 
received  an  overpowering  welcome  at  home.  The  people 
from  the  village  and  the  adjacent  country  turned  out 
en  masse  to  greet  them  as  they  alighted  from  the  train. 
Farmer  Klegg  and  his  wife  and  Maria,  proud  and  eager, 
were  there;  and  joyful  tears  flowed  unchecked  as  they 
twined  their  arms  around  son  and  brother  and  pressed  him 
to  their  beating  hearts.  Annabel  was  there,  with  moist 
eyes  and  a  flush  upon  her  soft  cheek. 

Si  had  grown  brave  now,  and  as  soon  as  the  family 
embrace  relaxed  he  advanced  and  put  his  arms  around  her 
as  unflinchingly  as  if  she  had  been  a  rebel  battery. 

Tumultuous  cheers  rent  the  air,  the  band  played  and 
banners  waved  in  honor  of  the  soldiers'  return  from  the  war. 

A  sumptuous  dinner  was  served  to  them  in  the  town 
hall,  and  the  village  orators  exhausted  their  eloquence  in 
giving  them  welcome  and  glorifying  their  deeds  of  valor. 

By  the  time  the  speakers  got  through,  the  veterans 
were  pretty  well  convinced  that  if  it  had  not  been  for 
Company  Q  the  war  would  have  been  a  failure — on  the 
Union  side. 

Then  the  boys  were  taken  in  charge  by  their  respect- 
ive friends.  In  anticipation  of  Si's  return,  his  mother  and 
sister  had  for  days  done  little  except  cook,  and  he  found 
himself  in  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey. 

That  night  Si  had  the  "best  bed"  in  the  house.  As 
he  threw  himself  upon  it  he  sank  down  in  a  sea  of  feathers 
that  almost  covered  him.  Of  course  he  could  not  sleep  in 
such  a  bed,  and  in  the  morning  when  his  mother  went  to  call 
him  to  breakfast,  she  was  amazed  to  find  him  lying  on  the 
floor.  "Tell  ye  what  'tis  mother, "  he  said,  "I  didn't  like 
ter  go  back  on  yer  nice  bed,  but  'twa'n't  no  use.  I  swum 
'round  'n  them  fethers  purty  much  all  night,  but  I  couldn't 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  213 

git  to  sleep  t'll  I  bunked  down  on  the  floor.  That's  a 
leetle  more  like  the  beds  I  slep  on  'n  the  army.  I  b'liev 
t'night  I'll  rig  up  a  pup  tent,  put  down  some  rails  ter  lie  on, 
'n  take  my  old  U.  S.  blanket  'n  crawl  in." 

This  is  all  pretty  much  right,  but  the  pup-tent  and 
the  rail  racket — just  put  up  a  common  A  tent  and  put 
down  some  Florida  pine  and  we  guarantee  the  boys  will 
sleep,  though  feather  beds  aint  so  bad  to  swim  around 
in  either.  We  wish  every  man  who  fell  a  victim  to  the 
connubial  epidemic  all  the  success  that  Si  had  and  in  the 
walks  of  civil  life  health,  happiness  and  prosperity.  The 
habiliment  of  a  soldier  has  been  laid  aside  for  the  apparel 
of  a  citizen;  the  thought  of  citizenship  should  come  to 
every  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  with  a 
profounder  meaning  because  of  this  experience  in  the 
service.  So  glorious  has  been  the  past  of  the  American 
Republic,  so  significant  is  its  present,  so  grand  is  its 
prospect  that  to  be  a  citizen  of  such  a  nation  is  a  proud 
distinction. 

No  time  in  all  its  history  has  the  nation  needed  more 
men  of  sterling  worth  than  in  this  present  time;  with  the 
glory  of  victory  adding  fresh  luster  to  its  flag  of  stars  and 
stripes  there  has  come  an  added  burden  and  consequent 
responsibility  of  government  that  shall  strain  every  fiber 
and  tax  every  energy  of  this  nation  we  proudly  call  our 
own.  Questions  are  about  to  arise  involving  the  most 
enormous  interests,  and  if  the  true  force  of  manhood  and 
right  citizenship  is  not  brought  to  bear  upon  them  they 
will  be  solved  by  those  with  baser  motives  than  ought  to 
prompt  a  man  of  genuine  patriotism,  and  in  it  all  the 
honor  of  the  nation  is  at  stake;  and  as  we  have  done  our 
duty  well  wherever  duty  called,  as  the  excellent  esprit  de- 
corps  that  has  moulded  our  experience  as  soldiers  has 
brought  to  us  the  highest  commendation  that  could  rest 


214  HISTORY    OF    THE 

.upon  such  a  body  of  men,  so  let  us  follow  the  walks  of 
civil  life,  giving  to  our  nation  and  to  our  state  our  best 
thought,  our  best  interest  and  unselfish  endeavor,  counting 
it  always  a  high  privilege  to  serve  a  flag  the  most  beau- 
tiful, the  most  noble  and  the  most  powerful  that  ever  kissed 
the  sunshine  of  God,  OLD  GLORY,  THE  FLAG  OF 
THE  STARS  AND  STRIPES. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  215 

COLONEL  WINFIELD  T.  DURBIN. 

Winfield  T.  Durbin,  of  Anderson,  was  the  man  upon 
whom  was  placed  the  honor  and  the  responsibility  of  com- 
manding the  last  regiment  of  men  that  went  out  from  In- 
diana. The  glory  of  what  a  thing  becomes  belongs  sever- 
ally to  those  whose  influence  helps  to  shape  it  and  the 
enviable  reputation  acquired  by  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty- 
first  Indiana  belongs  in  a  degree  to  every  man,  be  he  an 
officer  or  private,  who  took  a  pride  in  his  regiment  and 
tried  to  do  his  duty  well  for  his  regiment  and  for  his  coun- 
try's sake,  but  the  man  who  occupies  the  place  of  greatest 
responsibility,  the  man  upon  whose  mind  depend  the  ideals 
toward  which  an  institution  shapes  itself  and  upon  whose 
ability  to  execute  depends  the  final  approach  to  those  ideals 
is  the  man  to  whom  the  greatest  honor  must  fall  when  he 
proves  himself  worthy  of  his  position.  A  regiment  is  gen- 
erally and  to  a  great  degree  always  what  its  commanding 
officer  makes  it  and  the  fact  that  the  regiment  whose  supe- 
rior officer  was  Winfield  T.  Durbin  stood  so  high  in  the 
estimation  of  the  highest  army  officials,  that  it  was  worthy 
of  such  recognition  as  that  given  by  the  honorable  secre- 
tary of  war,  when  he  declared  concerning  the  cleanliness 
and  condition  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana 
camp  that  "it  was  a  revelation,  "a  "marvel,  "and  in  a  pub- 
lic manner  declared  on  the  reviewing  field  and  twice  after- 
ward that  the  regiment  was  the  finest  he  had  ever  seen,— 
this  fact  certainly  does  reflect  the  greatest  honor  on  the 
man  who  controlled  its  movements  and  accordingly  made 
its  name  a  reminder  of  all  that  a  body  of  thirteen  hundred 
soldiers  ought  to  become. 

Colonel  Durbin  did  not  seek  the  position;  the  posi- 
tion was  seeking  for  the  man,  and  it  found  him  puzzled 
over  some  needed  repairs  amid  the  noise  and  rattle  of 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  2  \"J 

machinery  in  the  works  of  the  Diamond  Paper  Company 
at  Anderson.  The  call  came  quick  and  unexpected.  His 
wife  and  son  were  on  the  Continent;  without  the  possibility 
of  consulting  them  or  apprising  them  of  his  intention,  he 
decided;  he  did  not  leave  his  plow  standing  in  the  field, 
but  he  did  leave  the  old  smashed  up  engine  lying  in  the 
factory  and  started  for  the  capital  city  of  his  state  whence 
he  had  been  called.  The  CALL  was  his  marching  orders. 
Colonel  Durbin  was  born  at  Lawrenceburg,  Indiana,  May 
4,  1847,  when  he  was  but  three  years  old  his  parents 
moved  toNewPhiladelphia.ahd  there  he  spent  hisearly  days, 
securing  such  educational  advantages  as  were  offered  by  the 
village  schools  of  his  boyhood  home.  He  was  fourteen 
years  of  age  when  the  Civil  war  began;  one  by  one  he  saw 
his  five  older  brothers  enlist  to  fight  for  the  Union,  and  his 
young  heart  stirred  him  to  offer  himself.  Accordingly  in 
1862  he  endeavored  to  enlist  in  the  Sixteenth  Indiana,  but 
owing  to  temporary  disability  was  not  accepted,  but  went 
with  the  regiment  and  participated  with  it  through  part  of 
the  Vicksburg  campaign,  rendering  good  service  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Vicksburg,  Arkansas  Post  and  elsewhere.  He  then 
enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-ninth  Indiana. 
This  was  in  the  following  year,  1863,  and  at  the  close  of 
war  he  reinained  for  four  years  with  his  father  who  was  at 
that  time  engaged  in  the  tanning  business.  In  1869,  a 
young  man  of  twenty-two,  he  went  to  Indianapolis  and 
entered  upon  a  clerkship  in  one  of  the  city's  large  jobbing 
dry  goods  establishments;  he  held  position  with  the  firm 
for  ten  years,  and  when  at  the  expiration  of  this  time  he 
was  prepared  to  leave,  he  had  by  his  faithful  industry  and 
business  ability  become  the  head  manager  of  the  office 
force. 

On  the  6th  of  October,  1875,  ne  married  Miss  Bertha 
McCullough,  of  Anderson  and  went  in    1879  to  the  city  of 


21 8  HISTORY    OF    THE 

his  bride  to  engage  in  mercantile  and  banking  pursuits. 
That  he  was  a  successful  business  man  his  present  connec- 
tion with  the  business  interests  of  that  place  fully  attest. 
He  is  president  of  the  Anderson  Foundry  and  Machine 
Works,  vice  president  of  the  J.  W.  Sefton  Manufacturing 
Company,  and  general  manager  and  treasurer  of  the  Dia- 
mond Paper  Company. 

For  six  years  he  was  a  school  trustee  of  Anderson 
during  which  time  he  materially  aided  in  the  erection  of 
several  of  the  finest  school  buildings  in  the  state. 

No  figure  has  been  more  prominent  in  political  circles 
during  the  past  fifteen  years  than  Colonel  Durbin;  his  fine 
executive  ability  and  sound  judgment  has  placed  him  in 
constant  demand  of  his  party.  He  was  a  presidental  elec- 
tor in  1888,  a  delegate  to  the  National  Republican  conven- 
tion at  Minnaepolis  in  1892,  and  was  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee that  notified  Whitelaw  Reid  of  his  nomination  ta 
the  Vice  Presidency.  He  was  also  a  delegate  to  the  same 
convention  in  St.  Louis  in  1896.  He  is  now  a  member  of 
the  national  Republican  committee  for  Indiana  and  a 
member  of  the  executive  committee. 

Colonel  Durbin  always  had  a  high  ideal  for  his  regi- 
ment and  was  solicitous  for  its  interests  in  every  particu- 
lar; he  so  placed  this  ideal  before  the  men  until  every  pri- 
vate had  taken  unusual  pride  in  the  appearance  and  repu- 
tation of  his  organization.  The  health  of  the  men  was 
always  a  subject  of  deep  concern  on  the  colonel's  part;  he 
used  every  precautionary  means  to  keep  the  camp  in  the 
best  possible  sanitary  condition,  attending  in  person  with 
the  surgeon  on  his  tours  of  camp  inspection,  and  in  Jack- 
sonville when  malarial  indisposition  rendered  so  many  of 
the  men  unfit  for  duty,  scarce  sick  enough  to  be  sent  to  the 
hospital,  yet  needing  special  nourishment  and  more  com- 
fortable sleeping  quarters,  Colonel  Durbin  at  his  own  ex- 


ONE    HUNERED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  219 

pense  erected  what  might  be  called  a  recuperation  hospital, 
a  large  and  substantial  frame  building,  into  which  the  men 
were  sent  and  where  cots  and  milk  diet,  so  far  as  the  latter 
was  procurable,  were  furnished  them. 

Colonel  Durbin  did  not  know  the  men  personally;  and 
consequetly  there  was  no  partiality  and  no  favors  for  special 
ones,  but  the  humblest  private  was  always  welcome  to  his 
tent  and  men  who  may  have  hesitated  to  approach  him 
always  came  away  feeling  they  had  been  treated  with  all 
due  kindness  on  the  part  of  their  regimental  commander. 

He  is  versatile  and  a  man  of  jovial  disposition,  but 
could  be  stern  to  severity  when,  in  his  judgment,  it  be- 
came necessary,  and  under  such  circumstances  when  he 
spoke  every  one  knew  that  he  meant  what  he  said  and  he 
was  obeyed.  That  the  regiment  has  received  its  well- 
known  recognition  and  its  favors  the  men  have  always  felt 
has  been  due  to  the  influence  of  the  man  at  its  head. 

At  the  organization  of  the  Society  of  the  Seventh 
Army  Corps  March  25,  1899,  Colonel  Durbin  was  chosen  a 
member  of  the  executive  council. 


22O 


OLIVER  M.   TICHENOR. 

Oliver  M.  Tichenor,  first  lieutenant  and  adjutant,  was 
one  of  the  regiment's  busy  men.  No  commission  less  than 
a  captain's  should  ever  be  given  an  adjutant.  This  ener- 


OLIVER  M.   TICHENOR. 

getic  young  officer  was  born  near  Princeton,  Indiana,  April 
21,  1864.  He  received  the  excellent  training  that  is  found 
in  farm  life,  and  entering  Princeton's  high  school,  graduated 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  221 

in  1883.  He  was  at  once  appointed  deputy  treasurer  of 
Gibson  county.  From  1889  until  1894  he  held  the  posi- 
tion of  postmaster  at  Princeton,  and  then  for  four  years 
traveled  as  freight  and  passenger  agent  of  the  Peoria, 
Decatur  &  Evansville  railroad,  which  position  he  resigned 
to  accept  the  appointment  of  chief  deputy  collector  of 
internal  revenue,  and  July  12,  1898,  he  placed  in  the  hands 
of  his  employer  his  resignation  that  he  might  accept  the 
commission  urged  upon  him  in  which  He  was  made  adju- 
tant of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry. 

Lieutenant  Tichenor  was  journal  clerk  of  the  Indiana 
legislature  in  1886-7,  and  but  for  his  youth  would  doubt- 
less have  been  elected  to  the  clerkship  of  the  supreme 
court  of  Indiana,  for  which  position  he  was  a  candidate 
in  1894. 


222 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


JOHN  RICH  BRUNT. 

First  Lieutenant  and  Quartermaster  John  Rich  Brunt 
is  a  man  fitted  for  the  responsible  position  he  held  by  a  life 
of  varied  business  experiences.  He  was  born  in  Madison 


JOHN  RICH  BRUNT. 

county,  Indiana,  July  29,  1845,  and  is  consequently  the 
oldest  man  in  the  regiment.  His  grandfather  was  Nathan 
Lee,  of  Virginia,  and  was  killed  in  the  war  of  1812  at 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INLIANA.  223 

Sackett's  Harbor.  When  twenty  years  old  Lieutenant 
Brunt  went  into  what  was  then  the  far  west,  where  for  five 
years  he  remained,  leading  the  life  of  a  hunter  and  scout. 
It  was  his  intention  to  return  for  a  collegiate  course,  but 
the  fascination  of  frontier  life  changed  that  intention,  and 
until  1870  he  was  a  scout  and  guide.  In  this  year  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lois  C.  Vanlandingham,  daugh- 
ter of  a  cousin  to  Hon.  Clement  L.  Vanlandingham.  After 
his  marriage  he  gave  up  the  adventurous  life  he  was  lead- 
ing and  became  bookkeeper  and  manager  for  a  railroad  con- 
tractor at  what  afterwards  became  Chanute,  Kansas,  in 
which  place  Lieutenant  Brunt  built  the  first  house  ever 
erected.  He  then  served  four  years  as  under  sheriff  at 
Osage  Mission,  Neosho  county,  Kansas,  and  followed  this 
by  a  four  years'  term  in  office  as  sheriff.  He  then  embarked 
in  business  at  the  same  place,  and  a  few  years  later  bought 
the  Neosho  County  Journal,  which  he  successfully  managed 
for  eight  years.  During  Cleveland's  first  administration 
Lieutenant  Brunt  was  postmaster  at  Osage  Mission. 

In  December,  1889,  after  an  absence  of  twenty-four 
years,  he  turned  his  face  toward  his  native  state,  and  made 
his  home  at  Anderson,  Indiana,  which  place,  on  the  organ- 
ization of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana,  he  left 
to  accept  a  commission  as  quartermaster  of  the  regiment. 
While  at  Anderson  he  was  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
Anderson  Iron  &  Bolt  Company,  and  its  receiver  for  two 
and  a  half  years  after  its  failure,  and  upon  its  reorganiza- 
tion was  made  secretary  and  manager,  resigning  this  posi- 
tion in  February,  1898.  In  1886  Lieutenant  Brunt  was 
the  Democratic  nominee  for  congress  from  the  Eighth 

Indiana  district,  and  made  an  excellent  race  against  over- 
whelming odds. 

Upon  the   organization  of  the   regiment   he   was   ap- 


224  HISTORY    OF    THE 

pointed  to  the  position  of  ordnance  officer,  which  office 
he  held  in  addition  to  his  position  as  regimental  quarter- 
master. On  February  24,  1899,  he  was  made  acting 
regimental  commissary  officer  during  the  illness  of  Lieuten- 
ant Freeman,  and  he  accordingly  was  responsible  for  the 
work  of  three  positions.  He  continued  in  this  latter  posi- 
tion one  month. 

During  the  months  of  September  and  October,  1898, 
at  Camp  Cuba  Libre,  he  was  acting  brigade  quartermaster 
of  the  First  Brigade,  Third  Division.  Quartermaster  Brunt 
understood  his  place;  he  got  for  his  regiment  what  others 
in  a  like  position  did,  and  usually  a  little  more,  and  if  the  staff 
and  line  were  in  large  tents  as  well  as  the  men;  if,  in  fact,  the 
One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  was  the  best  tented 
regiment  in  the  corps,  it  must  be  placed  to  his  credit  that 
it  was  so.  He  is  a  plain  man,  without  boast,  but  what  he 
does  he  does  well. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


225 


WILLIAM  E.  BIEDERWOLF. 

Captain  William  Edward  Biederwolf,  chaplain  of  the 
regiment,  offered  his  resignation  to  the  Broadway  Presby- 
terian church,  in  Logansport,  Indiana,  that  he  might  go  to 





WILLIAM  E.   BIEDERWOLF. 

care  for  the  spiritual  needs  of  the  boys  of  the  One  Hundred 
and  Sixty-first  Indiana.  He  was  born  in  the  year  of  1867, 
on  September  29,  at  Monticello,  Indiana.  Graduating: 

15 


226  HISTORY    OF    THE 

irom  ths  high  school  of  his  native  place,  he  taught  school 
for  one  year,  and  then,  in  the  fall  of  '86,  entered  Wabash 
College,  Crawfordsville.  After  four  years'  work  in  this  in- 
stitution, he  entered  Princeton  University,  at  Princeton, 
New  Jersey.  Upon  graduation  here,  he  began  his  theolog- 
ical course  in  the  seminary  of  the  same  place,  receiving  his 
degree  in  1895.  After  a  year's  evangelistic  work  with  Rev. 
B.  Fay  Mills,  the  evangelist,  in  April,  1896,  he  was  married 
to  Miss  Ida  Casad,  of  Monticello,  Indiana.  They  went  at 
-once  to  Germany,  where  for  eighteen  months  he  enjoyed 
the  privilege  of  study  in  New  Testament  Greek,  as  Fellow- 
ship scholar  from  Princeton  Theological  Seminary.  After 
traveling  to  the  Holy  Land  he  returned  and  accepted  the 
pastorate  of  the  Broadway  Presbyterian  church,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1897.  Captain  Biederwolf,  during  his  study  at  Prince- 
ton, devoted  his  vacations  to  rescue  work  in  the  slums  of 
New  York  city.  He  is  a  lover  of  athletic  sports,  and  was 
for  four  years  a  member  of  Princeton's  athletic  and  gym- 
nastic teams,  and  in  other  ways  connected  with  her  ath- 
letic interests.  Chaplain  Biederwolf  took  delight  in  his 
work  and  the  men  called  him  their  friend. 

Writing  of  a  chaplain's  work  from  an  experimental 
and  retrospective  view  point,  one  sees  discouragements  and 
hindrances  unthought  of  at  the  initial  stage  of  that  experi- 
ence, and  which  in  spite  of  any  further  recognition  of  the 
man  and  his  work  which  is  justly  due  from  the  highest 
military  authority  must  still  depend  for  their  alleviation 
upon  circumstances  of  character  with  which  the  war 
department  has  nothing  to  do.  The  efficiency  of  the  chap- 
lain's work  depends  upon  other  things  besides  "  what  the 
chaplain  makes  it,"  which  nothing  but  the  grace  of  God 
can  remedy.  Some  men  have  written  that  army  life  is  a 
character  moulder.  'Tis  false — the  drift,  or  better  still  the 
current,  of  army  life  is  anti-moral  and  anti-religious;  neither 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  22"J 

space  nor  appropriateness  of  place  permit  any  defense  of 
this  statement,  but  experience  proves  it  in  spite  of  excep- 
tions. The  chaplain  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first 
is  not  elated  over  his  work.  He  is,  however,  on  the  whole 
proud  of  the  morale  of  the  regiment  it  was  his  privilege  to 
serve;  it  was  as  good  as  any  and  better  than  many,  due 
more  to  the  make-up  of  the  men  than  to  anything  he  was 
permitted  to  do.  But  he  knows  the  ministrations  inthe  hos- 
pital among  the  sick  and  the  dying,  the  friendships  with 
the  men,  the  words  of  counsel  and  the  utterances  from  the 
place  of  worship  were  not  in  vain,  and  that  even  results 
unseen  below  eternity  will  reveal  in  rich  fruition. 

And  yet  much  of  the  chaplain's  work  does  depend  upon 
what  he  makes  it  and  with  this  in  mind  early  efforts  were 
made  to  purchase  a  suitable  tent  for  assembly  purpose. 
Nearly  all  the  towns  from  which  the  boys  came  donated 
liberally,  a  large  50x80  tent  was  purchased,  and  through 
help  from  the  Christian  Commission,  furnished  with  an 
organ,  with  reading,  games  and  writing  material.  At  times 
peculiarly  appropriate  for  letter  writing,  from  six  hundred  to 
seven  hundred  letters  a  day  were  written  from  the  tables  of 
this  tent.  The  first  ten  days  in  Jacksonville,  nightly  evan- 
gelistic services  were  held  by  Fred  Schivera.  Services 
were  held  every  Sunday  by  the  chaplain,  usually  morning 
and  evening.  An  occasional  concert  given  and  such  other 
meetings  held  as  were  legitimate  for  such  a  place.  Elbert 
M.  Blake,  of  Company  K,  was  detailed  to  care  for  the  tent 
and  was  a  most  valuable  aid  to  the  chaplain.  After  the 
severe  storm  the  center  piece  was  left  out  and  the  tent 
became  circular  with  a  fifty-foot  diameter.  At  Savannah, 
Fred  C.  King,  Company  G,  had  charge  of  the  work;  in 
Cuba,  Chas.  Sheller,  Company  G,  for  one  month,  and  John 
Coates,  Company  A,  for  a  few  weeks,  when  Mr.  Blake  was 
again  put  in  charge. 


228  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Some  of  the  most  precious  moments  and  glorious 
hours  were  those  spent  by  the  cot  side  of  sick  in  the  wards 
of  the  hospital. 

There  was  much  of  this  to  do  in  Jacksonville  and 
when  the  regiment  left  for  Savannah,  eighty-seven  men 
were  left  behind  in  the  tents  of  the  Third  Division  Hos- 
pital. The  chaplain  was  granted  the  privilege  of  staying 
with  them,  and  the  writing  of  letters  for  them,  furnishing 
them  with  such  delicacies  as  medical  authority  would 
allow,  the  moments  of  serious  conversation  and  the  bidding 
them  good-bye  as  they  were  helped  into  the  hospital  trains 
bound  for  the  north,  were  experiences  for  which  one  may 
well  be  grateful  and  feel  that  his  ministry  was  worth  its 
while. 

It  was  hard  to  sympathize  with  many  of  the  men  who 
took  up  their  lodgings  in  the  quarters  shown  in  the  following 
cut.  It  was  all  voluntary,  the  men  didn't  have  to  go  there, 
that  is,  at  a  period  considerably  prior  to  their  registration, 
but  when  once  there  resolutions  were  readily  made  that 
they  would  never  go  again  nor  recommend  its  accommoda- 
tions. These  resolutions  and  promises,  whose  place  if  not 
the  chaplain's  to  help  the  men  to  keep  them,  and  as  so 
many  would  have  it  that  the  building  on  opposite  page  and 
similar  institutions  belonged  to  the  ecclesiastical  depart- 
ment, its  cut  is  appropriately  and  with  pleasure  inserted 
here. 


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en 
H 

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O 


O 

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FIRST   BATTALION 

,     VT,    A, 


232 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


VICTOR  M.   BACKUS. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Victor  M.  Backus  is  a  born  sol- 
dier. His  grandfather  was  an  officer  on  Napoleon's  staff, 
his  father  was  a  soldier  and  Colonel  Backus  himself  a  hard 


VICTOR  M.   BACKUS. 

Union  fighter  in  the  war  of  Rebellion.  He  therefore 
brought  with  him  into  the  recent  service  a  large  experience 
of  army  life  and  this  with  his  peculiar  genius  and  character- 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  233 

istic  earnestness  made   him  an   invaluable   officer    of   the 
regiment  in  which  he  served. 

He  was  born  at  Williamsburg,  New  York,  the  2 7th 
day  of  March,  1850.  When  six  years  of  age  his  parents 
came  to  Franklin,  Indiana,  and  six  years  later  moved  to 
Indianapolis.  His  school  education  was  meagre,  being 
interrupted  by  the  war,  where  he  felt,  young  as  he  was, 
that  he  was  needed  and  therefore  belonged.  He  was  only 
eleven  years  old,  he  waited  two  years  and  then  succeeded 
in  gaining  enlistment  in  the  Seventeenth  Indiana  Regiment, 
then  a  part  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  General 
Wilder  commanded  the  brigade  and  General  Gerrard,  the 
division.  He  was  a  brave  and  daring  soldier  and  although 
but  a  boy,  bore  well  the  part  of  the  strongest  man.  He 
fought  at  Dalton,  Resaca,  Rome,  Big  Shanty,  Noonday 
Creek,  Kennesaw  Mountain,  Peach  Tree  Creek  and  many 
other  battles.  In  all  he  was  actively  engaged  in  nineteen 
battles  and  fifty-one  skirmishes.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  it  was  Wilder's  brigade  that  made  the  famous  charge 
against  the  breast  works  of  Selma.  Assault  after  assault 
had  been  made  when  Wilder  hurled  his  men  against  the 
stubborn  resistance  and  went  over  the  works  at  a  great 
•cost  of  life,  but  thereby  making  possible  the  almost  com- 
plete destruction  of  General  Forrest's  command. 

At  Macon,  Georgia,  Colonel  Backus  was  made  one  of 
a  picked  detail  of  sixty.men  to  effect  the  capture  of  Jeffer- 
son Davis,  who  it  was  learned  was  attempting  to  escape  to 
the  west.  This  detail  came  up  with  another  within  an 
exceedingly  close  distance  from  where  it  had  captured 
the  fallen  Confederacy's  president,  and  together  they 
brought  him  back  to  Macon  and  with  him  another  prisoner 
of  distinction  then,  and  of  still  greater  fame  to-day — 
fighting  Joe  Wheeler,  the  hero  of  Santiago. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  the  fifteen- vear-old  soldier  was 


234-  HISTORY    OF    THE 

mustered  out  at  Macon,  August  12,  1865,  and  taken  to 
Indianapolis  for  final  discharge.  He  had  reason  to  be 
proud  of  his  record.  He  never  missed  a  battle  in  which 
his  regiment  was  engaged  and  from  beginning  to  end  was 
never  once  in  attendance  at  sick  call. 

There  was  no  more  fighting  to  be  done  and  the  youth 
entered  the  Shaw  Company  Carriage  works  as  an  appren- 
tice at  seven  dollars  per  week;  but  in  ten  years  after  taking 
this  position,  he  had  by  his  constant  diligence  and  earnest 
application  acquired  a  one-half  interest  in  the  concern,  and 
a  few  years  later  he  had  purchased  Colonel  Shaw's  inter- 
est and  the  firm  was  known  as  V.  M.  Backus  &  Company. 

In  1890  the  colonel  was  nominated  by  the  democratic 
party  for  county  and  city  treasurer  of  the  county  of  Marion, 
and  the  city  of  Indianapolis.  He  was  elected  by  a  hand- 
some majority.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office  he 
turned  his  attention  wholly  to  the  business  of  contracting, 
undertaking  and  satisfactorily  completing  some  of  the 
largest  and  most  important  systems  of  sewerage  and  other 
works  in  the  country. 

When  the  war  with  Spain  came  on  Victor  M.  Backus 
raised  a  regiment  and  offered  it  to  Governor  Mount  two 
days  before  the  president  issued  his  first  cal)  for  troo.ps. 
The  members  of  the  state  militia  being  already  sufficient 
in  numbers  to  furnish  the  state's  required  quota,  the 
colonel's  regiment  could  not  be  given  place.  Upon  the 
second  call  for  troops  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first 
Indiana  was  created  and  the  position  of  lieutenant- 
colonel  tendered  him,  which  he  accepted  and  which  posi- 
tion he  has  filled  with  the  greatest  acceptability. 

His  experience  in  contracting  has  made  him  an  invalu- 
able part  of  the  regiment.  He  cheerfully  assumed  that 
which  properly  was  the  duty  of  others;  he  was  always 
busy  and  always  had  some  scheme  to  keep  others  busy. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  235 

To  him  must  be  given  much  of  the  praise  for  the  building 
and  adornment  of  the  camp.  The  seven-pointed  cement 
star,  the  bamboo  band  stand,  the  monument  and  the 
Backus  garbage  burner,  warranted  to  cremate  anything 
from  water  to  a  stone,  will  always  be  connected  with  his 
name. 

He  was  commander  of  the  First  Battalion,  but  was 
often  in  command  of  the  regiment  while  Colonel  Durbin 
commanded  the  brigade.  He  made  a  capable  officer,  and 
a  good  disciplinarian;  he  was  not  hard  to  approach  and 
his  easy-going  manner  made  for  him  friends  throughout  the 
whole  regiment. 

COMPANY  K. 


WILFRED  T.  STOTT. 

Captain  Wilfred  T.  Stott,  son  of  Dr.  W.  T.  Stott, 
president  of  Franklin  College,  was  born  March  6,  1869,  at 
Columbus,  Indiana.  He  was  graduated  from  Franklin  Col- 
lege at  the  age  of  twenty-one  and  soon  after  became  en- 
gaged in  the  newspaper  business  as  a  reporter.  In  this 
profession  he  continued  until  the  outbreak  of  hostilities 
against  Spain.  His  first  work  was  done  on  the  Indianapo- 
lis News.  Later  he  entered  the  University  of  Chicago  and 
took  a  three  years  literary  course  at  that  institution,  sup- 
porting himself  in  the  meantime  by  reportorial  work  on  the 
Chicago  Tribune.  Afterward  he  was  employed  on  that 
paper  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1897  he  returned  to  his 
native  city  and  purchased  the  Republican,  a  daily  and 
weekly  paper,"  which  he  published  for  a  year. 

During  the  stay  of  the  regiment  at  Savannah,  Georgia, 
Captain  Stott  was  detailed  as  recruiting  officer  for  the  regi- 


236 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


CAPTAIN  WILFRED  T.   STOTT. 

merit  and  was  absent  in  Indiana  on  that  duty  for  one  month. 
He  has  served  in  the  Indiana  National  Guards  for  five  years 
and  is  a  son  of  a  veteran,  his  father  being  a  captain  in  the 
Civil  war. 


CHARLES  C.  SMITH. 

First  Lieutenant  Charles  C.  Smith  was  born  Decem- 
ber 22,  1871,  at  South  Bethany,  Indiana.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Columbus,  Indiana,  and  soon 
after  completing  his  education  became  engaged  in  the  pen- 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


237 


FIRST  LIEUTENANT  CHARLES  C.   SMITH. 

sion  business.  He  continued  in  this  business  until  1893,. 
when  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Samuel  W.  Daugherty 
under  the  firm  name  of-Daugherty  &  Smith,  and  purchased 
the  business  of  his  former  employer,  to  which  real  estate 
and  insurance  business  was«  added. 

Lieutenant  Smith  has  served  three  years  in  the  Indiana 
National  Guards  and  is  the  son  of  a  soldier. 


TEMPLE  H.   OWENS. 

Second  Lieutenant  Temple  Hubert  Owens  was  bom 
in  Noblesville,   Indiana,  July   14,   1876.     He  was  educated! 


238  HISTORY    OF    THE 

in  Columbus,  graduating  from  the  high  schools  of  that 
city  in  1895.  Since  that  time  until  entering  the  service  he 
was  engaged  in  newspaper  work,  being  employed  on  the 
local  papers  of  his  home  city,  besides  acting  as  corres- 
pondent for  many  of  the  metropolitan  dailies. 

For  three   months  during   his  service    with   the   One 


SECOND    LIEUTENANT  TEMPLE  HUBERT  OWENS. 

Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  he  was  detailed  on  duty 
with  the  Tenth  United  States  Infantry  at  Havana  and 
Mantanzas,  serving  as  lieutenant  in  Company  F,  and  also 
as  adjutant  of  the  Second  Battalion. 

Lieutenant  Owens  also  acted  as  adjutant  of   the  First 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  239 

Battalion,  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana,  at  Camp 
Cuba  Libre.  His  father  was  a  veteran,  having  served  dur- 
ing the  entire  Civil  war. 


COMPANY    HISTORY. 

Company  K  was  organized  at  Columbus,  Indiana, 
April  28,  1898.  At  the  meeting  at  which  the  organization 
was  perfected  two  hundred  men  were  enrolled. 

W.  T.  Stott  was  elected  captain  and  C.  C.  Smith,  first 
lieutenant,  and  T.  H.  Owens,  second  lieutenant.  A  strenu- 
ous effort  was  made  by  the  officers  and  men  and  citizens  of 
Columbus  to  have  the  company  ordered  out  on  the  first  call 
for  troops.  Feeling  confident,  however,  that  it  would 
later  be  called  into  service,  the  organization  was  main- 
tained, though  a  number  of  the  members  enlisted  in  the 
regular  army  and  in  the  volunteer  regiments  already  ac- 
cepted. 

The  second  call  for  troops  found  the  company  in 
readiness,  the  armory  having  been  converted  into  tempo- 
rary barracks  and  daily  drills  having  been  conducted  for 
several  weeks. 

In  accordance  with  orders  from  Governor  Mount,  the 
organization  reported  at  Camp  Mount  July  4,  1898,  after 
having  undergone  a  preliminary  physical  examination  at 
the  home  station.  Company  K,  which  designation  was 
later  given,  arrived  at  Camp  Mount  with  a  greater  number 
of  men  than  any  other  company,  there  being  one  hundred 
and  thirty-two  in  the  ranks.  It  was  also  strongest  in  point 
of  numbers  when  mustered  in,  July  13,  1898,  entering  the 
service  with  one  hundred  and  five  enlisted  men. 

The  company  was  assigned  to  the  First  Battalion,  and 
at  the  time  of  muster-out  was  the  ranking  company  of  that 


2 

O 

0 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  24! 

battalion.  It  has  been  fortunate  in  having  a  complement 
of  good  non-commissioned  officers.  The  list  of  sergeants 
remained  unchanged  during  the  service  of  the  company. 
This  organization  bore  distinction  for  its  many  tall  men  and 
for  its  excellence  at  drill. 


COMPANY    K    ROSTER. 

WILFRED  T.  STOTT,  Captain,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Reporter. 

CHARLES  C.  SMITH.  1st  Lieutenant,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Insur- 
ance Agent. 

TEMPLE  H.  OWEXS,  '2nd  Lieutenant,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Re- 
porter. 

SERGEANTS. 

Thompson,  William  A.,  1st  Serg't,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Civil 
Engineer,  promoted  to  1st  Serg't  Nov.  8,  1898. 

Bray,  Charles,  Q.  M.  Serg't,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Mechanic, 
promoted  to  Serg't  Nov.  3,  1898. 

McGovney,  Charles  S.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Student. 

Voris,  G.  Ashley,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Clerk. 

Carr,  Frank,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Miller. 

Wynegar,  Eugene,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Stenographer. 

CORPORALS. 

Haislup,  Harry  H.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Cabinetmaker. 

Oliphant,  Wilfred  H.,  Noblesville,  Ind.,  Painter. 

Christ,  Orlando  P.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Tailor. 

Allison,  Franklin  E.,  Hope,  Ind.,  Teacher. 

Day,  Elmer  C.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Mechanic. 

Cobb,  Edwin  A.,  Columbus,   Ind.,   Student,  discharged  Feb. 

4,  1899. 
Pruitt,  Elmer  T.,  Edinburg,  Ind.,  Laborer,  discharged  March 

13,  1899. 
McCoy,  Harry,    Columbus,  Ind.,    Clerk,    transferred    to   3rd 

Div.  Hosp.  Corps  Aug.  20,  1898. 

16 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  243 

Luse,  Joseph  L.,  Edinburg,    Ind.,    Stenographer,    appointed 

Corp.  Aug.  29,  1898. 
Von  Wilier,  Adolph  R.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Laborer,  appointed 

Corp.  Aug.  29,  1898. 
Tobrocke,  Frank  A.,  Waymansville,    Ind.,  Clerk,  appointed 

Corp.  Aug.  29,  1898. 
Roth,  Louis  A.,  Edinburg,  Ind.,   Laborer,  appointed    Corp. 

Sept.  26,  1898. 
Pursfield,  Forest,  Columbus,    Ind.,  Hostler,    appointed    Corp. 

Nov.  4,  1898. 
Phillips,  Joseph  F.,  Edinburg,  Ind.,  appointed  Corp.  March 

24,  1899. 
Beatty,  William  J.,  appointed  Corp.  March  24,  1899. 

MUSICIANS. 

Israel,  Horace  B.,  Edinburg,  Ind.,  Laborer,  appointed  Mu- 
sician Aug.  30,  1898. 

Clark,  Alexander,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Student,  appointed  Mu- 
sician Aug.  30,  1898. 

ARTIFICER. 

King,  Edwin,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Carpenter. 

WAGONER. 
Bruce,  Herbert  R.,  Nortonsburg,  Ind.,  Fanner. 

PRIVATES. 

Abell,  Samuel,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Student. 

Abernathy,  Robert,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Adkins,  James,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Molder. 

Ayers,  William  A.,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Engineer. 

Barmes,  Frank  H.,  Hope,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Beabout,  David,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Betterly,  Benjamin,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Clerk,  discharged    Sept. 

27,  1898. 

Blake,  Elbert  M.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Student. 
Branarnan,  Henry,  Becks,  Ind.,  Farmer. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  245 

Bruce,  Mell,  Lexington,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Brurnfield,  Gurtis,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Mechanic. 

Burns,  Samuel,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Printer. 

Coats,  William  T.,  Shelby ville,  Ind.,  Student,  transferred  to 

Co.  C   Jan.  26,  1890. 

Carr,  Harry  C.,  Hartsville,  Ind.,  Student. 
Carter,  Allen,  Columbus,  Ind.,  laborer. 
Collins,  Samuel,  South  Bethany,  ^id.,  Farmer. 
Cook.  Joseph  L.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Mechanic. 
Coy,  Lora  E.,  Pikes  Peak,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Craig,  Clifford,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Laborer.          ^ ' -> 
Cron,  Henry,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  HandlemakcJr 
Dill,  James  R.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Dillman,  Harry,  Bedford,  Ind.,  Mechanic. 
Dinkens,  Thomas,  Liberty,  Ind.,  Laborer,  discharged  Jan.  80, 

1899.  «. 

Dobson,  James  M..  Columbus,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Downs,    Charles    M.,    Edinburg,    Ind.,    Laborer,    discharged 

Feb.  3,  1899. 

Ehlers,  George  C.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Brakeman. 
Fawcett,  Oliver,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Fuller,  William,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
George,  John  S.,  Scipio,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Grove,  Clarence  B.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Student. 
Haislup,  Charles  A.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Hardesty,  Sylvanus  G.,  Nebraska,  Ind.,  Stone  Cutter. 
Henderson,  Edward  F.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Henderson,  Walter  E.,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Mechanic. 
Hodler.  Charles  H.,  Ogilville,  Ind.,  Cook,  discharged  Feb.  7, 

1899. 

Hodler,  Samuel  S.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Mechanic. 
Huffer,  Welden,  Newbern,  Ind.,  Student,  discharged  Jan.  13, 

1899. 
Jones,  Percy,  Hope,  Ind.,  Farmer,  transferred  to  Reg.    Band 

Aug.  20,  1898. 
Keethler,  James,  Ogilville,  Ind.,  Laborer,  transferred  to  3rd 

Div.  Hosp.  Corps  Aug.  20,  1898. 


246  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Kerth,  Franklin,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  Mechanic. 

Kellenberger,  Bertram  S.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Clerk. 

Ketner,  Robert  E.,  Hartsville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Kroencke,  Henry  F.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Carpenter. 

LaForce,  David  E.,  Bedford,  Ind.,  Clerk. 

Lambert,  Arthur  S.,  Con  way,  Ky.,  Farmer. 

Lathrop,  Lyman  G.,  Hope,  Ind.,  Student. 

Lockman,  Cecil,  Bedford,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Lunsford,  Robert  A.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Manuel,  Andrew,  Christiansburg,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

McCallie,  Ralph,  Newbern,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

McKee,  Melvin,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Carpenter. 

Marlin,  Temple,  Hope,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Marlin,  Nathaniel  W.,  Hope,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Myers,  Jacob,  Edinburg,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Oaks,  Robert  F.,  Edinburg,  Ind.,  Mechanic. 

Payne,   Charles    B.,    Columbus,   Ind.,    Teamster,    discharged 

Jan.  30,  1899. 

Pickens,  John  M.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Mechanic. 
Potter,  Charles,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Pruitt,  Leslie,  Edinburg,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Quick,  George  W.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Carpenter. 
Richey,  Alonzo,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Repp,  John  F.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Moulder. 
Rich,  John    W.    D.,  Columbus,    Ind.,   Teamster,    discharged 

Feb.  16,  1899. 

Romine,  John  D.,  Ogilville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Rowell,  Fred  C.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Cabinetmaker,   transferred 

to  Hosp.  Corps  Aug.  20,  1898. 
Seeger,  John  F. ,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Skinner,  Elihu   M.,  Brownstown,  Ind.,  Farmer,  discharged 

Feb.  4,  1899. 

Stiner,  Harry  E.,  Taylorsville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Stuckey,  Erastus,  South  Bethany,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Schierff,  Olif,  Chicago,  111.,  Clerk,  discharged  Feb.    15,  1899. 
Thomas,  Charles  E.,  Taylorsville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Thomas,  Martin  R.,  Taylorsville,  Ind.,  Engineer. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  247 

Thompson,  William  H.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Barber. 

Turner,  Joseph,  Modora,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Twaddell,  Forrest,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Clerk,  discharged  Feb.  1, 

1899. 

VanArsdal,  Evert,  Taylorsville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Western,  William  C.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Engineer. 
Yerger,  John,  Bedford,  Ind.,  Barber. 
Young,  Hullard  G.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Everson,    Charles,    Columbus,    Ind.,    Moulder,  died    Dec.    2, 

1898. 
Carr,  Victor  M.,  Hartsville,  Ind.,  Cook,  transferred  from  Co. 

A  Jan.  17,  1899. 
Gifford,  George  H.,  Indianapolis,  Ind., Clerk,  transferred  from 

159th  Ind.r deserted  March  17,  1899,  at  Camp  Colum- 
bia, Cuba. 
Koehne,  George  H.,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Machinist,  transferred 

from  159th  Ind. 
Miller,    Isaac    J.,    Clifford,    Ind.,    Laborer,    transferred    from 

159th  Ind. 
Swartwood,  Sherman  B.,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Farmer,  transferred 

from  159th  Ind. 
Schaufler,  Charles,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Potter,  transferred  from 

159th  Ind. 
Ruby,  Edward  T.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Cook,  mustered  as  Cook 

Dec.  8,  1898. 
Cole,  Bert  A.,  Bloomington,  Ind.,  Civil  Engineer,  transferred 

from  159th  Ind.  Vol.  Inf. 


COMPANY   M. 


GEORGE  A.  WEST. 

Captain  George  A.  West  is  the  oldest  man  among 
the  officers  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana 
Regiment.  He  was  born  at  Lawrenceburg,  Indiana,  Feb- 


248  HISTORY    OF    THE 

ruary  14,  1844,  and  received  such  education  as  could  then 
be  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town.  In 
1 86 1  he  went  to  New  Orleans  and  remained  there  until  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  hastened  north,  coming 


CAPTAIN  GEORGE  A.   WEST. 

on  the  last  steamer  that  came  up  the  Mississippi  river,  and 
enlisted  at  once. 

He  served  during  the  entire  war,  re-enlisting  in  the 
Second  Indiana  Battery  at  the  expiration  of  his  first  enlist- 
ment. 

During  a  greater  part  of  his  service  Captain  West  was 
engaged  as  a  scout  west  of  the  Mississippi  river  and  while 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  249 

serving  in  this  capacity  was  wounded  five  times.  He  was 
also  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Prairie  Grove.  Special 
authority  from  the  war  department  was  granted  in  order 
that  Captain  West  could  be  commissioned  in  the  Spanish- 
American  war.  In  re-entering  the  service  he  forfeited  a 
pension  of  fourteen  dollars  per  month. 

Captain  West  has  a  son,  John  B.  West,  who  is  no  less 
a  fighter  than  himself.  John  B.  West  was  a  bugler  in  the 
army  at  Santiago  but  asked  for  a  gun  and  went  on  the  fir- 
ing line  and  was  severely  wounded,  being  shot  through  both 
legs. 


FIRST  LIEUTENANT  GEORGE  W.   FITCH. 


250  HISTORY    OF    THE 

GEORGE  W.  FITCH. 
i 

First  Lieutenant  George  W.  Fitch  was  born  at  Law- 
renceburg,  Indiana,  March  24,  1868.  He  was  educated  in 
the  high  school  of  Lawrenceburg  and  later  was  employed 
in  his  father's  bank.  Afterwards  he  held  a  responsible  posi- 
tion with  the  Adams  Express  Company,  and  still  later  he 
was  identified  with  the  Potter,  Parlin  Company,  of  New 
York,  as  assistant  secretary  and  treasurer  for  a  number  of 
years.  At  the  opening  of  the  Spanish-American  war  he 
was  city  engineer  of  Lawrenceburg. 


HANSON  G.  FREEMAN. 

Second  Lieutenant  Hanson  G.  Freeman  was  born 
October  30,  1859,  at  Prattsburg,  Indiana.  He  graduated 
from  the  Lawrenceburg  high  school,  and  later  took  a  two 
years'  course  at  Moore's  Hill  College.  Soon  after  com- 
pleting his  education  he  engaged  in  the  coal  business  at 
Lawrenceburg,  in  which  he  continued  until  the  outbreak 
of  the  war. 

On  September  5,  1898,  Lieutenant  Freeman  was  de- 
tailed as  regimental  commissary  -of  subsistence  and  re- 
mained in  that  capacity  until  the  muster-out  of  the  or- 
ganization. The  father  of  Lieutenant  Freeman  served 
during  the  entire  Civil  war. 


HISTORY   OF    COMPANY    M. 

Company  M  was  organized  early  in  April,  1898,  by 
George  A.  West,  George  W.  Fitch  and  Hanson  G.  Free- 
man as  a  battery,  as  it  was  expected  it  would  be  first  to 


o 

o 


252  HISTORY    OF    THE 

see  service  in  our  partly  unprotected  coast  cities.  The 
company  was  tendered  to  the  Governor  April  8,  1898,  but 
when  in  a  few  days  the  situation  developed  that  a  battery 
would  have  no  chance  to  get  into  the  service,  the  company 
was  quickly  changed  to  a  company  of  infantry. 

Lieutenant  Freeman's  coal  office,  at  the  corner  of 
High  and  Vine  streets,  was  the  company  headquarters. 
There  the  plans  were  often  revised  to  outwit  the  opposi- 
tion of  many  others  who  were  anxious  to  split  the  organi- 
zation that  they  might  have  the  honor  of  leading  the  only 
company  that  Dearborn  county  would  get  to  furnish  during 
the  war.  In  union  there  was  strength,  and  Company  M 
stood  loyally  together  and  all  opposition  either  fell  by  the 
wayside  or  extended  a  helping  hand. 

The  company  tried  to  get  in  under  the  first  call,  want- 
ing to  represent  this  part  of  the  state  in  lieu  of  the  Aurora 
company,  whose  place  was  vacant  in  the  state  guard,  but 
failed,  as  larger  counties  were  given  the  preference.  The 
company  kept  up  their  organization,  replacing  with  new 
men  those  who  dropped  out  to  join  other  companies  that 
had  been  more  successful  in  being  recognized,  some  going 
into  the  regular  army.  A  member  of  the  company  was 
found  at  Indianapolis  at  every  change  of  events  or  rumor, 
that  no  doubt  might  exist  of  the  company  getting  in,  and 
on  June  15,  1898,  the  Governor  rendered  a  final  decision 
that  the  company  would  be  accepted.  An  hour  later  a 
telegram  was  posted  in  Lawrenceburg  and  the  news  spread 
like  wildfire.  June  24th,  the  Governor  notified  Captain 
West,  sending  the  examination  blanks.  June  2/th,  28th 
and  2^th  were  consumed  making  physical  examinations  by 
Dr.  James  D.  Gatch,  after  which  the  Governor  was  noti- 
fied that  the  company  awaited  his  orders.  The  company 
received  instructions  to  leave  Saturday,  July  2d. 

July  i,  1898,  after  the  company  had  made  their  fare- 


r~ 


o 
55 

o 

o 


O 
o 


254  HISTORY    OF    THE 

well  parade  over  the  city,  they  were  presented  with  a 
handsome  flag  by  the  ladies  of  Lawrenceburg,  Mrs.  Ezra 
G.  Hayes  making  the  presentation  in  a  strong  and  touching 
speech,  which  was  responded  to  by  Lieutenant  Fitch,  after 
which  the  members  of  the  company  went  to  their  homes, 
some  tor  the  last  time.  The  departure  of  the  company, 
on  the  morning  of  July  2d,  was  an  event  that  will  live  in 
the  memory  of  every  citizen  as  the  most  touching  scene 
the  city  had  witnessed  since  the  dark  days  of  1861. 

The  company  arrived  at  the  Indianapolis  fair  grounds 
at  noon  and  was  quartered  in  cattle  barn  F.  After  re-ex- 
amination, the  company  was  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service  July  13,  1898,  and  lettered  Company  M, 
after  which  the  history  of  the  company  was  about  that  of 
the  regiment.  September  5th,  Lieutenant  Freeman  was 
detailed  as  regimental  commissary  officer,  which  place  he 
filled  until  the  regiment  was  mustered  out. 

October  17,  1898,  at  Jacksonville,  Florida,  death 
parted  Private  Henry  H.  Stille  from  his  company  after  a 
brief  sickness  with  typhoid  fever.  The  remains  were  sent 
to  his  home  at  Sunman,  Indiana,  for  interment.  February 
17,  1899,  in  Cuba,  the  dreaded  small-pox,  after  a  two 
weeks'  struggle,  claimed  as  its  victim  Private  Andrew 
Gould,  and  he  was  interred  the  same  day  with  military 
honors  in  the  United  States  cemetery,  between  Marianao 
and  Playo,  in  grave  No.  26. 

All  other  events  of  the  company  can  be  looked  back 
upon,  no  matter  how  unpleasant  at  the  time,  as  having 
some  pleasure  connected  with  them  save  the  deaths  which 
parted  two  good  soldiers  from  the  company. 

The  company  was  detailed  as  provost  guard  at  the 
Second  Division,  Seventh  Army  Corps.  Hos'pital,  near 
Marianao,  from  February  18,  1899,  to  March  27,  1899. 

Company    M  was  mustered  out  at  Savannah,   Geor- 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  255 

gia,  April  30,  1899,  and  returned  home  via  Washington, 
D.  C.,  stopping  there  two  hours  and  marching  through  the 
White  House.  The  company  arrived  home  at  midnight, 
May  2,  and  were  received  with  open  arms,  welcoming 
them  home  in  a  happier  way  than  they  had  bid  them  God- 
speed and  success,  just  ten  months  before.  The  reception 
prepared  on  the  arrival  of  the  company  was  postponed  till 
the  evening  of  May  3d.  The  company  paraded  the  prin- 
cipal streets,  escorted  by  all  the  uniformed  ranks  of  the 
city,  when  they  marched  to  Odd  Fellows'  Hall.  Mayor 
O'Brien  made  the  address  of  welcome  to  the  company  and 
Captain  West  responded  in  a  few  well-chosen  words,  after 
which  the  company  retired  to  the  banquet  hall  and  partook 
of  a  feast  such  as  only  the  ladies  of  Lawrenceburg  know 
how  to  prepare.  At  a  late  hour  the  company  separated 
and  went  to  their  homes  to  take  up  the  lives  of  civilians. 


COMPANY    M    ROSTER. 

GEORGE  A.  WEST,  Captain,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind. 
GEORGE  W.  FITCH,  1st  Lieutenant,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind. 
HANSON  G.  FREEMAN,  2nd  Lieutenant,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind. 

SERGEANTS. 

Rief,  Jacob  J..   1st  Serg't,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Bookkeeper. 

Evans,  Edwin  J.,  Q.  M.  Serg't,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Fire- 
man, appointed  from  Corp.  to  Q.  M.  Serg't  Jan.  5, 
1899. 

Seekatz,  John,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Shoemaker. 

Sparks,  Charles  D.,  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  Machinist. 

Marshall,  Edward,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Cooper,  appointed 
from  Corp.  to  Serg't  Jan.  5,  1899. 

Spencer,  Cyrus  M.,  Moore's  Hill,  Ind..  Dentist,  discharged. 


256  HISTORY    OF    THE 

CORPORALS. 

Scofield,  John  J.,  Milan,  Ind.,  Telegraph  Operator,  discharged 

Feb.  30,  1899. 

Wilson,  William,  Moore's  Hill,  Teamster. 
Cissna,  Adrian  H.,  Chillicothe,  O.,  Butcher. 
Fleck,  George  J..  Lawrenceburg,  Ind..  Laborer. 
Young,    Clarence,    Hornersville,   N.    Y.,    Butcher,    promoted 

to  Corp.  Aug.  16,  1898. 
Laswell,  Jesse  L.,  Versailles,  Ind.,  Cook,  promoted  to  Corp. 

Dec.  20,  1898. 
Webster,  William  S.,  Sunmam,   Ind.,  Liveryman,  promoted 

to  Corp.  Dec.  20,  1898. 
Bell,  Charles  H.,  Milan,  Ind.,   Carpenter,   promoted  to  Corp. 

Dec.  20,  1898. 
Landers,    Edward,    Lawrenceburg,    Ind.,    Cooper,    promoted 

to  Corp.  Dec.  20,  1898. 
Schnetzer,  George,  Lawrenceburg,   Ind.,  Laborer,  promoted 

to  Corp.  Jan.  5,  1899. 
Truitt,  Edward  A.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Moulder,  promoted 

to  Corp.  Jan.  5.,  1899. 

Wingerberg,    Henry  J.,  Lawrenceburg,   Ind.,  Laborer,  pro- 
moted to  Corp.  Feb.  20,  1899. 
Winkley,    Martin,   Guilford,    Ind.,  Railroader,   promoted    to 

Corp.  Feb.  20,  1899. 

MUSICIANS. 

Strauss,    John   M.,   Lawrenceburg,    Ind.,    Piano    Tuner,   dis- 
charged Feb.  8,  1899. 
Kelsey,  Charles  L.,  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  Telegraph  Operator. 

ARTIFICER. 

Fleck,  John  J.,  St.  Bernard,  Ohio,  Blacksmith. 

WAGONER. 

McAdams,  William,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Hod  Carrier. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  257 

PRIVATES. 

Abdon,  James  W.,  Cochran,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Andrews,  Henry,  Elizabethtown,  Ohio,  Farmer. 

Aprill,  Frank,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Aylor,  George  J.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Paper  Hanger. 

Barrow,  Charles,  Rockdale,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Berry,  Clyde  C.,  Milan,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Billingsley,  Nicholas,  Aurora,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Brumblay,  Thomas  B.,  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  Engineer. 

Christian,  Henry,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Stone  Mason. 

Clark,  Ira  W.,  Milan,  Ind.,  Brakeman. 

Clark,  John  C.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Clark,  James,  Hartford,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Connelley,  Bertram,  Sunrnan,  Ind.,  Stenographer. 

Cox,  Edward  S.,  Aurora,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Cooper,  William,  Aurora,  Ind.,  Laborer,  discharged  Jan.  26,, 
1899. 

Daily,  Andrew,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Davis,  Milton  C.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Donner.  George,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Downs,  Samuel,  Lawrenceburg,  Stationary  Engineer. 

Emchiser,  Leroy,  Santa  Fe,  Ind.,  Lumberman. 

Enke,  Charles  F.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  Blacksmith. 

Fahy,  Luke,  Aurora,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Frazier,  James  M. ,  Bright,  Ind.,  Butcher. 

Frost,  John,  Cohoes,  N.  Y.,  Fireman. 

Flush,  Henry  C.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Cooper. 

Gerkin,  Albert  C.,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Moulder. 

Gould,  Andrew,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Sawmaker,  died,  '^Ha- 
vana, Feb.  17,  1899. 

Gould,  George  K.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Printer. 

Givan,  Paul,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Blacksmith. 

Gray,  Harley,  Aurora,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Hauser,  Peter,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Tailor. 

Hayes,  George  M.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Hayes,  Charles,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Farmer 

17 


258  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Hitchcock,  Edward  M.,  Hope,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Huntington,  Homer,  Moore's  Hill,  Farmer. 

Jeffries,  Thomas  B.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Moulder. 

Johnson,  Albert  L.,  Dillsboro,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Johnson,  Clifford,  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Johnson,  Hal,  Dillsboro,  Ind.,  Bricklayer. 

Jones,  Walter  D.,  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  Photographer. 

Kepper,  George  C.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Clerk. 

Ketcham,  George  P.,  Chesterville,  Ind.,   Laborer,  discharged 

Feb.  4,  1899. 

Knagge,  John  W.,  Dillsboro,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Knippenberg,  August  H.,  Lawrenceburg.  Ind.,  Fanner. 
Kunkel,  John  M.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Cigarmaker. 
Lawrence,  William  R.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Cooper. 
Losey,  John  F.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Laird,  George  W.,  Greensburg,  Ind.,  Stockdealer. 
Marshall,  Benjamin,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Mason,  Henry,  Guilford,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
McCartney,  Charles  W.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Miller. 
Meyer,  Ralph  A.,  Dillsboro,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Montooth,  Charles  E.,  Vevay,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
McElfresh,  George  R.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
McCartney,  Frank,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Pate,  Henry  C.,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Farmer. 
Purnell,  Minter,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Ratekin,  Emery  J.,  Richland,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Reed,  Amos  B.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Stove  Moulder. 
Roemer,  Fred  C.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Machinist. 
Rolf,  Frederick,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Blacksmith. 
Rief,  Charles  H.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Carriagemaker. 
Schwab,  Edward,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Stone  Mason. 
Speckman,  Frank  E.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Stewart,  Walter  S.,  Elizabethtown,  Ohio,  Farmer. 
Stille,  Henry  H.,   Sunman,   Ind.,   Telegraph  Operator,  die:1, 

Jacksonville,  Oct.  17,  1898. 
Suit,  Calvin,  Elizabethtown,  Ohio,  Farmer. 
Strieker,  George  W.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Painter. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  259 

Spencer,  Henry  A.,  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  Dentist. 
Taylor,  Charles  J.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Blacksmith. 
Taylor,  William  A.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Express  Agent. 
Taylor,  William,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Thompson,  Edward,  Aurora,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Temke,  William,  Spader,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Tudor,  Gidion  H.,  Caleast,  Ky.,  Farmer, 
Ward,  Marcus,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Wesler,  William  J.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Cooper. 
Zimmermann,  John  G.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  Baker. 
Siemantel,  John  J.,  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  Blacksmith. 
Moody,  Curtis,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Railroader. 
Slageter,  Karl,  transferred  from   159th  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.  Dec.  1, 
1898. 


COMPANY  A. 


GEORGE  M.  SILVERTHORNE. 

Captain  George  M.  Silverthorne  was  born  at  Chicago, 
in  1877,  and  after  finishing  a  grammar-school  course  he 
entered  the  Michigan  Military  Academy,  from  which  insti- 
tution he  graduated  in  1896.  Later  he  went  to  North- 
western University  and  had  just  completed  a  two  years' 
law  course  when  war  was  declared  against  Spain. 

He  was  commissioned  as  first  lieutenant  of  Company 
A,  and  later  was  made  captain  to  succeed  to  Captain 
Olds.  During  the  first  part  of  his  service,  Captain  Silver- 
thorne acted  as  adjutant  of  the  First  Battalion. 


260 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


CAPTAIN  GEORGE  M.  SILVERTHORNE. 


AUGUST  H.   W.  JOHNSON. 

First  Lieutenant  August  H.  W.  Johnson  was  born  at 
Hinsdale,  Illinois,  January  9,  1869.  He  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  La  Grange,  Illinois. 

Lieutenant  Johnson  is  a  contractor  and  builder,  and 
from  1892  until  1895  he  had  charge  of  the  construction 
work  of  the  Grassila  Chemical  Company,  of  Cleveland  and 
Chicago. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  26 1 

He  was  promoted  from  second  to  first  lieutenant  to 
succeed  First  Lieutenant  Silverthorne.  On  October  25, 
1898,  soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  regiment  at  Savannah, 


FIRST  LIEUTENANT  AUGUST  H.  W.  JOHNSON. 

Georgia,  Lieutenant  Johnson  was  taken  sick  with  typhoid 
fever,  and  was  confined  in  the  city  hospital  at  that  place 
for  three  months. 


FLETCHER  M.    DURBIN. 

Second  Lieutenant  Fletcher  M.  Durbin,  son  of  Colonel 
Durbin,  is   the   youngest  officer  in  the   One  Hundred  and 


262  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Sixty-first  Indiana  Regiment.  He  was  born  at  Anderson, 
Indiana,  April  25,  1880.  He  attended  the  schools  of  Ander- 
son, later  took  a  two  years'  coarse  at  the  Culver  Military 
Academy,  and  spent  two  years  in  the  school  at  Lawrence- 
ville,  New  Jersey.  Last  spring  he  completed  his  examina- 


SECOND  LIEUTENANT  FLETCHER  M.  DURBIN. 

tions  one  month  early  in  order  that  he  might  travel.  He 
spent  four  months  travelling  in  Europe.  Mr.  Durbin  was 
commissioned  as  second  lieutenant  of  Company  A, 
November  30,  1898.  He  was  appointed  adjutant  of  the 
First  Battalion,  January  6,  1899. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  263 

COMPANY  A  HISTORY. 

The  Hammond  company,  like  many  other  companies 
of  this  regiment,  was  formed  at  the  first  call  for  volunteers, 
and  confidently  expected  to  go  out  then.  In  this,  how- 
ever, they  were  disappointed,  an  event  which  was  very  de 
pressing  upon  the  spirits  of  the  loyal  men,  who  were  so 
anxious  to  fight  for  their  country,  but  subsequent  events 
have  shown  that  this  was  the  greatest  blessing,  however, 
that  they  could  have  received,  for  otherwise  they  would 
never  have  belonged  to  the  •'  old  One  Hundred  and  Sixty- 
first.  " 

It  was  at  this  stage  of  the  history  of  the  company  that 
it  met  with  one  of  its  discouragements.  Disappointed  at 
not  being  included  with  those  who  were  first  to  go  into  the 
service  of  the  United  States,  many  resigned  and  some 
others,  dissatisfied,  didn't  even  go  through  this  formality  but 
simply  dropped  out. 

Interest  in  the  company  was  at  a  very  low  ebb,  drills 
and  meetings  were  suspended  on  account  of  the  lack  of  at- 
tendance. 

A  reorganization  of  the  company  was  decided  upon, 
however,  by  those  who  were  still  anxious  to  get  into  the 
service  and  a  date  set  for  an  election  of  officers.  Recruit- 
ing offices  were  opened  in  Hammond,  Whiting,  Crown 
Point  and  East  Chicago,  and  upon  the  night  of  the  election 
the  recruits  numbered  one  hundred  and  twenty-five.  Lee 
Merritt  Olds  a  graduate  of  the  Michigan  Military  Academy, 
and  also  Northwestern  University,  was  elected  captain. 
George  M.  Silverthorn,  a  graduate  of  the  same  institution, 
was  elected  first  lieutenant  and  August  H.  W.  Johnson, 
of  East  Chicago,  was  elected  second  lieutenant.  The  elec- 
tion was  none  to  soon,  for  their  orders  to  hold  themselves 
in  readiness  and  proceed  to  Indianapolis  to  join  the  One 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  265 

Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, forming  there,  were  received  from  the  Governor  the 
next  day. 

The  members  of  the  company  were  duly  notified  of 
this  fact  and  were  all  present  with  what  scanty  baggage 
they  were  to  take  with  them  at  the  appointed  time;  the 
Morton  House  in  Hammond,  which  had  been  vacated,  was 
reopened  and  occupied  by  them  during  the  interval  before 
leaving  for  Indianapolis.  Transportation  arrived  on  July 
5th  over  the  Monon  and  also  an  order  to  proceed  at  once 
to  Indianapolis.  The  company  were  wildly  enthusiastic 
•when  the  orders  were  read  to  them,  and  at  once  got  their 
belongings  together  preparatory  to  leaving;  among  the 
latter  was  the  mascot,  "  Dewey,"  a  large  white  sheep  pre- 
sented to  the  company  by  Chief  James  Fallen,  of  the  Ham- 
mond Packing  Company.  An  early  dinner  was  had  and  at 
12  o'clock  they  marched  to  the  station  led  by  the  G.  A.  R. 
•drum  and  fife  corps,  and  greeted  with  cheers  on  all  sides 
by  the  citizens  of  Hammond  who  turned  out  en  mass  to 
see  the  departure  of  the  company  which  was  to  represent 
them  in  the  Spanish-American  war.  Wives  and  sweet- 
hearts, "mostly  sweethearts,"  were  at  the  station  to  see 
the  company  off,  and  the  scene  there  presented  is  one  that 
will  always  be  fresh  in  the  mind  of  everyone  present.  Two 
special  cars  were  attached  to  the  regular  train,  and  at  12:30 
p.  M.,  July  5th,  we  left  for  Indianapolis.  We  were  joined 
by  the  company  from  Monticello  on  our  way,  and  arrived 
at  Camp  Mount,  Indianapolis,  at  about  5  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.  Immediately  upon  our  arrival  we  were 
assigned  to  one  of  the  vacant  sheds  in  the  fair  grounds, 
which,  during  fair  time,  was  occupied  by  the  sheep  exhibit. 
Stoves,  dishes  and  blankets  were  issued  to  us,  and  those 
who  enlisted  as  carpenters  were  called  upon  to  show  their 
skill  in  converting  a  sheep  shed  into  a  comfortable  habita- 


o 
U 


o 
u 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  267 

tion.  Thus  at  last  our  purpose  was  accomplished  and  we 
became  a  part  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Regi- 
ment, Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry. 


COMPANY   A   ROSTER. 

LEE  M.  OLDS,  Captain — Promoted  to  Major  Dec.  1,  1898. 
GEORGE    M.    SILVERTHORNE,  Captain — Promoted    from   1st 

Lieut.  Dec.  9.  1898. 
AUGUST  H.  W.  JOHNSON,  1st  Lieutenant — Promoted  from  2nd 

Lieut. 
FLETCHER  DURBIN,  2nd  Lieutenant — Appointed  Dec.  9,  1898. 

SERGEANTS. 

Meehan,  James  E.,  Franklin  Pa.,  Steam  Fitter. 

Murray,  Joseph  E.  D.,  Rochester  N.  Y.  Reporter. 

Carr,  Stephen,  Ashley,  Ind.,  Railroad  Employe. 

Ripley,   Stephen,  Hammond,   Ind.,  Clerk. 

Schloen,     Frank,   Hammond,    Ind.,  Clerk,   appointed  Serg't 

Dec.  3,  1898. 
Main,  William    E.,  Chicago,    111.,  Student,  appointed   Serg't 

Jan.  4,  1899. 

CORPORALS. 

Mason,  Charles  J.,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Clerk. 

Coates,  John  S.,  Chicago,  111.,  Machinist. 

Scheer,  Robert,   Milwaukee,  Wis.,  Carpenter. 

Green,  George  W.,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Crandall,  L.  D.,  Chicago,  111.,  Steam  Fitter. 

Ibsen,  Frank,  Chicago,  111.,  Artist. 

Hansen,    Mike,    Whiting,  Ind.,  Machinist,  appointed  Corp. 

Aug.  27,  1898. 
Eggers,  Peter,  Saginaw,  Mich.  Cooper,  appointed  Corp.  Nov. 

12,  1898. 
Holzapfel,  William,  Chicago,  Ills.,  Painter,  appointed  Corp. 

Jan.  4,  1899. 


268      .  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Crandall,  Elbert,  Chicago,  Ills.,   Clerk,  appointed  Corp.  Jan. 
4,  1899. 

ARTIFICER. 

Cole,  James,  Waterloo.  Ind.,  Blacksmith. 

WAGONER. 

Frenck,  Fred,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Liveryman. 

MUSICIAN. 
Brown,  Theodore,  Chicago,  111.,  Metal  Polisher. 

PRIVATES. 

Adams,  Elmer,  East  Chicago,  Ind.,  Grocer. 

Anderson,  Fred,  Chicago,  111.,  Bricklayer. 

Boyd,  Dayton,  La  Grange,  Ind.,  Hostler. 

Brock,  Joseph,  Whiting,  Ind.,  Fireman. 

Baum,  Edward,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  Laborer. 

Ballog,  Steve,  East  Chicago,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Berry,  Fred  A.,  Vincennes,  Ind.,  Clerk. 

Bouchie,  Louis,  Vincennes,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Cabice,  Thomas,  Bridgeport,  N.  Y.,  Driver. 

Danielson.  Daniel,  East  Chicago,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Doran,  Mathis,  South  Chicago,  111.,  Laborer. 

Driscoll,  Charles  J.,  Vincennes,  Ind.,  Barber. 

Eyerman,  Max,  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  Cook. 

Fortune,  \Valter,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Faol,  Edward,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Harnessmaker. 

Finlayson,  Daniel  W.,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Steamfitter. 

Fleirman,  Fred,  Pullman,  111.,  care  of  Soldiers'  Home,  Painter. 

Fields,  Alfred  C.,  Kerney,  N.  J.,  Clerk. 

Freel,  John  H.,  Whiting,  Ind.,  Clerk. 

Galloway,  Joseph,  East  Chicago,  Ind.,  Clerk. 

Center,  Ernest,  Chicago,  111.,  Laborer. 

Grohnert,  Max,  Ada,  Mich.,  Painter. 

Hanson,  Louis,  Chicago,  111.,  Clerk  and  Nurse. 

Hahlweg,  Charles,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Law  Student. 

Hahlweg,  Emil,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Gold  Essayist. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  269 

Holtzkampf,  August,  Chicago,  111.,  Pressman. 
Hays,  Frank  J..  Chicago,  111.,  Teamster. 
Hornack,  George,  Hammond,  Ind. ,  Machinist. 
Howe,  Charles,  Hope,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Handy,  Algo,  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Expert  Bookkeeper. 
Haas,  Henry,  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Cook. 
Johnson,  John,  Brighton  Park,  Ind.,  Cook. 
Jones,  Patrick,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  Iron  Moulder. 
Jones,  Elmer,  Garrett,  Ind.,  Farmer.    . 
Kroucell,  John,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Gunsmith. 
Koai,  Frank,  East  Chicago,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Keitzer,  Peter,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Barber. 
Kuchenberg,  Fred,  Jeance,  Wis.,  Clerk. 
Keller,  Fred,  Chicago,  111.,  Electrician. 
Kitchen,  Joseph  A.,  Harvey,  111.,  Linguist. 
Koutz,  Charles,  Beanville,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Larson,  Charles,  Kane,  Pa.,  Iron  Worker. 
Levy,  Abraham,  Danerorf,  Germany,  Rabbi. 
Miller,  Chris.,  Chicago,  111.,  Farmer. 
Miller,  John,  Oxford  Furnace,  N.  J.,  Steel  Worker. 
Miller,  Parley,  Bloomington,  Ind.,  Student. 
Malic,  Albert,  Chicago,  111.,  Ladies  Tailor. 
Mathis,  John,  East  Chicago,  Ind.,  Druggist. 
McConnell,  Fred,  Clinton,  Iowa,  Law  Student. 
McGrath,  Patrick,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Chef. 
Nelson,  William  E.,  Chicago,  111.,  Machinist. 
Nichols,  Robert,  Oswego,  N.    Y.,  Engineer. 
Nattress,  Fred,  Island  Lake,   N.  D.,  Comm.  Expert. 
Neff,  William  E.,  Lowell,  Ind.,  Inventor. 
O'Connor,  William,  Put-in-Bay,  Ohio,  Malster. 
Pondak,  Joseph,  East  Chicago,  Ind.,  Coal  Dealer. 
Peterson,  John,  Chicago,  111.,  Medical  Student. 
Peto,  Julis,  East  Chicago,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Polgat,  Steve.  East  Chicago,  Ind.,  Iron  Roller. 
Poldar,  John,  East  Chicago,  Ind.,  Iron  Puddler 
Parks,  Albert,  Stanley,  Ind.,  Law  Student. 
•  Pope,  Chode,  Hammond,  Ind.,  R.  R.  Foreman. 


27O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Ryan,  Thomas,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Iron  Worker. 
Rogers,  Jessie,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Tailor. 
Sabo,  John,  East  Chicago,  Ind.,  Miner. 
Smith,  Taylor,  Lima,  Pa.,  Butcher. 
St.  John,  Louis,  Victoria,  B.  C.,  Photographer. 
Strabel,  Henry,  Crown  Point,  Ind.,  Cigarmaker. 
Strom,  Gus.,  Chicago,  111.,  Silversmith. 
Strecker,  Henry,  Chicago,  111.,  Grocer. 
Trahan,  Ben.,  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Vacha,  Joseph,  Whiting,  Ind.,  Grocer. 
Vermetle,  Carl  A.,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Artist. 
Werner,  John,  Chicago,  111.,  Designer. 
Williams,  John,  Whiting,  Ind.,  Fireman. 
Woodward,  Frank,  Whiting,  Ind.,  Physician. 

TRANSFERRED. 

Hay,  George  C.,  Whiting,  Ind.,  Telegraph  Operator,  to  Band 

Aug.  23,  1898. 
Lunom,  Martin,  Effingham,  111.,  Dealer  in   Spring  Water,  to 

Band  Sept.  21,  1898. 

Carr,  Victor,  Hartsville,  Ind.,  Clerk,  to  Co.  K   Jan.  17,  1899. 
Lucas,  Horace,  Alexander,  Ind.,  Nurse  and  Student,  to  U.  S. 

Hospital  Sept.  10,  1898. 
Kimball,  Harry,  Chicago,  111.,  Nurse,  to  U.  S.  Hospital  Aug. 

20,  1898. 
Byerley,  Samuel,   Bloomingdale,   Ind.,   Railroader,  to   U.    S. 

Hospital  Sept.  10,  1898. 
Larson,  Andrew  C.,  Chicago,  111.,  Polisher,  to  U.  S.   Hospital 

Sept.  10,  1898. 
Crandall,  Eugene,   Chicago,   111.,  Student,   to  U.  S.  Hospital 

Aug.  20,  1898. 

DISCHARGED. 

Proulx,  Louis,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Clerk,  disability  at  Jackson- 
ville, Fla.,  Sept.  29,  1898. 

Wheeler,  Burr  O.,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Printer,  by  order  War 
Department,  Feb.  13,  1899. 

Rhodes,   Peter,  Athens.  111.,   Clerk,   by  order   Sec.   of  War, 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  2/1 

Mar.  18,  1899. 

Craick,  William,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Clerk,  by  order  Sec.  of 
War,  March  13,  1899. 

Bowser,  Corp.  Emerson  L.,  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  Barber,  by  order 
War  Department,  March  13,  1899. 

Butler,  Edwin  V.,  Van  Wert,  Ohio,  Brakeman  R.  R,  dis- 
ability at  Havana,  Cuba,  Dec.  22,  1898. 

DeFrees,  Fred  B.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Civil  Engineer,  by 
order  War  Department,  Dec.  1,  1898. 

Larson,  Carl  A.,  Chicago.  111.,  Painter,  by  order  War  Depart- 
ment, Jan.  16,  1899. 

O'Connor,  Thomas,  Buffalo,  X.  Y.,  Butcher,  by  order  War 
Department,  Dec.  22,  IS'.N. 

Woods,  William,  New  York,  N.  Y.,  Painter,  disability  at 
Ft.  McPherson,  Ga.,  Jan.  4,  1899. 

DEATHS. 

Puhlman,  Ernest,  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  Clerk,  broke  neck  diving  off 
pier  into  Trout  Creek,  at  Jacksonville,  Sept.  4,  1899; 
buried  at  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

Schroeder,  Fred,  Hammond,  Ind.,  Laborer,  at  Reg.  Hospital, 
Jacksonville,  Fla.,  Oct.  14,  1898;  buried  at  Ham- 
mond, Ind. 


COMPANY  E. 


JAMES  W.   FORTUNE. 

Captain  James  W.  Fortune  was  promoted  from  the 
rank  of  first  lieutenant  to  that  he  now  holds,  to  fill  the 
vacancy  occasioned  by  the  resignation  of  Captain  L.  C. 
Baird.  He  was  born  at  Lexington,  Indiana,  February  I, 
1864.  He  attended  Indiana  University  and  graduated 
from  the  literary  department  in  1889,  and  from  the  depart- 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


ment    of    law   in    1894.       Since    that    time    he    has    beera 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  at  Jeffersonville,  Indiana. 
For  two  months  previous  to  his  promotion  Captain  For- 


CAPTAIN  JAMES  W.  FORTUNE. 

tune  was  adjutant  of  the  First  Battalion.  During  a  greater 
part  of  his  service  he  has  acted  as  regimental  summary 
court  officer  and  has  officiated  as  judge  advocate  of  several 
different  court  martials. 


WILLIAM  W.    CROOKER. 

First  Lieutenant  William  W.  Crooker  is  an  old  Indi- 
ana National  Guard  officer,  having  been  in  the  service  of 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  2/3 

the  state  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  second  lieutenant 
of  the  command  called  out  to  quell  the  rioting  during  the 
•coal  miners'  strike  in  Sullivan  county. 

Lieutenant  Crocker  was  born,  raised  and  educated  at 


FIRST  LIEUTENANT  WILLIAM  W.  CROCKER. 

Jeffersonville,  Indiana.  His  business  is  that  of  an  elec- 
trician. His  great-grandfather  served  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  and  his  father  was  a  captain  during  the1] Civil 
war.  During  the  first  two  months'  service  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  Regiment  Lieutenant 
Crooker  acted  as  regimental  commissary  of  subsistence. 
He  entered  the  army  as  a  second  lieutenant. 

18 


274 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


EDWARD  A.  McCAULEY. 

Second  Lieutenant  Edward  A.  McCauley  was  born  at 
Jeffersonville,  Indiana,  August  2,  1873.  He  received  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  this  place.  In  1893  he 


SECOND  LIEUTENANT  EDWARD  A.  MCCAULEY. 

became  a  member  of  the  Indiana  National  Guard,  and  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  sergeant.  At  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Spanish-American  war  he  was  associated  with  his  father, 
John  S.  McCauley,  in  the  furniture  and  picture-framing 
business.  On  the  president's  second  call  for  volunteers  he 
assisted  Captain  L.  C.  Baird  in  raising  a  company,  enlisted 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  275 

as  first  sergeant  and  was  mustered  in  at  Indianapolis  with 
the  company.  On  the  resignation  of  Captain  Baird  Ser- 
geant McCauley  was  promoted  to  second  lieutenant  and 
commissioned  January  6,  1899,  at  Camp  Columbia,  Havana, 
Cuba. 


HISTORY    OF   COMPANY    E. 

Jeffersonville,  in  common  with  all  other  Indiana  towns 
of  any  importance,  strove  eagerly  for  the  distinction  of  furn- 
ishing the  state  with  a  volunteer  company  on  the  first  call  for 
troops.  Although  unsuccessful  in  this  she  was  destined  to 
be  one  of  the  few  Indiana  cities  whose  organization  saw 
service  on  foreign  soil. 

Enrollment  for  Company  E  began  to  be  taken  early 
in  May  at  the  office  of  attorney  (now  captain)  James  W. 
Fortune  in  the  Spieth  block,  Jeffersonville.  Considerable 
confusion  was  caused  for  a  time  by  the  presence  of  a  rival 
organization,  which  also  aspired  to  the  honor  of  being 
selected  by  Governor  Mount  to  represent  the  city  in  the 
makeup  of  the  new  regiment  about  to  be  furnished  by 
Indiana.  The  confusion  was  largely  due  to  the  eagerness 
of  a  number  of  the  recruits  to  get  into  the  service.  In 
order  to  make  assurance  doubly  sure  these  young  patriots 
had  themselves  enrolled  with  both  companies.  Another 
factor  which  contributed  to  the  parlous  state  of  affairs  was 
the  uncertainty  as  to  whether  or  not  the  governor  would 
allot  a  company  to  Jeffersonville.  Many  of  the  recruits — in 
fact  the  cream  of  those  enrolled — sought  relief  from  this 
state  of  uncertainty  by  enlisting  in  the  regular  service. 

"All  things  come  to  him  who  waits,"  and  the 
patience  of  Company  E's  promoters  was  finally  rewarded 
by  the  welcome  intelligence  that  the  organization  was  one 
of  the  iucky  twelve  selected  by  the  governor.  This  fact 


W 


o 

o 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  2/7 

being  definitely  assured,  a  mass  meeting  was  held  at  the 
city  hall  on  the  evening  of  June  24,  for  the  purpose  of 
selecting  the  company  officers  and  to  enroll  such  additional 
recruits  as  might  be  necessary.  The  meeting  was  presided 
over  by  Colonel  James  Keigwin,  of  Louisville,  Kentucky. 

The  officers  were  chosen  with  especial  regard  to  their 
fitness,  and  at  no  time  during  their  term  of  service  did  the 
members  of  the  company,  as  a  whole,  have  occasion  to 
regret  their  choice.  Lewis  C.  Baird  was  elected  captain, 
James  W.  Fortune,  first  lieutenant,  and  W.  W.  Crocker, 
second  lieutenant.  Captain  Baird  and  Lieutenant  Crooker 
were  both  members  of  the  State  Guard  previous  to  the 
disbanding  of  famous  Company  G,  First  Indiana  National 
Guard.  Captain  Baird  also  brought  to  his  duties  the  high 
military  efficiency  obtained  during  a  course  at  the  United 
Naval  Academy  at  Ananapolis.  Lieutenant  Fortune  had 
no  previous  training  in  military  matters,  but  his  record  as 
first  lieutenant  and  later  as  captain  of  the  company  proved 
him  a  born  soldier  and  justified  the  confidence  shown  by 
the  company  in  his  selection. 

Physical  examinations  of  recruits  were  conducted  daily 
at  Jeffersonville  and  also  at  Scottsburg,  Charlestown  and 
Sellersburg,  the  last  named  three  adjoining  towns  furnish- 
ing a  number  of  recruits.  These  preliminary  examinations 
were  conducted  by  Dr.  L.  L.  Williams,  of  Jeffersonville, 
and  it  is  noteworthy  that  Company  E  had  a  smaller  per- 
centage of  rejections,  during  the  final  tests  at  Indianapolis, 
than  any  company  in  the  regiment. 

On  July  i,  Company  E  went  into  camp  at  Indianapo- 
lis with  one  hundred  and  nine  men.  Although  the  exami- 
nations reduced  this  number  slightly  below  the  required 
maximum  quota  the  gaps  were  speedily  filled  up.  After 
the  usual  period  of  squad-drills,  suspense  and  commisera- 


o 
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CO 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  279 

tion  for  the  unfortunate  candidates  the  company  was  mus- 
tered into  the  service  on  July  12. 

From  this  time  on  the  history  of  the  company  is,  with 
a  few  variations,  the  history  of  the  regiment.  When  the 
fall  of  Santiago  and  the  signing  of  the  protocol  occurred  it 
had  the  dumps  with  its  fellows.  When  the  regiment  was 
ordered  to  Jacksonville.  Company  E  yelled  with  the  loudest, 
for  Cuba  was  drawing  nearer.  It  had  its  share  (perhaps 
more  than  its  share)  of  the  insidious  Jacksonville  malaria. 
When  the  regiment  pitched  camp  at  Savannah,  Company 
E,  for  the  first  and  only  time  in  its  history,  was  separated 
from  the  mother  organization. 

On  November  9,  the  company  was  detached  and  sent 
to  take  charge  of  the  Savannah  Military  Rifle  Range,  dur- 
ing its  use  for  the  largest  practice  of  the  Seventh  Army 
Corps.  The  skill  and  good  work  of  the  company  in  manip- 
ulating the  targets  and  conducting  the  corps  target 
practice  won  unsparing  commendation  from  the  corps  offi- 
cers. The  company  remained  at  the  range  for  a  period  of 
seventeen  days  and,  while  there,  ate  a  Thanksgiving  dinner, 
the  menu  of  which  would  astonish  the  bean-fed  veterans  of 
the  Civil  war. 

When  Cuba  was  reached  all  settled  contentedly  down 
into  the  daily  routine  and  began  to  look  for  mustering  out 
orders.  January  6  marked  another  epoch  in  the  com- 
pany's history.  On  this  date  notice  was  given  of  the  ac- 
ceptance of  Captain  Baird's  resignation,  previously  tendered 
on  account  of  business  affairs  at  home  which  demanded  his 
personal  attention.  He  was  succeeded  in  command  by 
First  Lieutenant  Fortune.  Second  Lieutenant  Crooker 
was  thus  advanced  to  second  in  command  and  First  Ser- 
geant Edward  A.  McCauley  received  the  shoulder  straps  he 
so  well  deserved.  The  illness  of  Lieutenant  Crooker  was 
the  only  incident  which  marred  the  otherwise  enjoyable 


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CJ 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  28 1 

•stay  in  Cuba.  The  boys  were  sorry  to  leave  him  behind, 
even  for  the  short  time  which  elapsed  between  the  regi- 
ment's departure  and  his  return  on  the  hospital  ship.  Ar- 
rived safely  at  home  once  more,  the  members  of  Company 
E  can  speak  with  justified  pride  of  the  showing  they  have 
made. 

Not  wholly  unscathed  did  they  come  forth.  By  the 
death  of  Private  Robert  Angleton,  Company  E  was  de- 
prived of  one  of  her  best  and  bravest.  He  died  October 
n,  of  typhoid  fever,  at  his  home  in  Jeffersonville  while 
absent  on  sick  furlough. 

Company  E  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  with 
ninety-five  men  on  the  muster  rolls.  Eight  were  dis- 
charged, six  were  transferred  and  one  died.  As  an  offset 
to  this  five  new  men  were  either  recruited  or  transferred  to 
the  company  during  its  term  of  service. 

Like  many  others,  Company  E  had  a  company  flag. 
•On  the  night  previous  to  the  departure  of  the  company  for 
Camp  Mount  it  was  presented  with  a  fine  silk  flag  by  the 
citizens  of  Jeffersonville.  The  presentation  was  made  by 
Mayor  Whitesides,  who  made  a  speech  befitting  the  occa- 
sion. The  flag  remained  with  the  company  until  Jackson- 
ville was  reached,  from  which  place  it  was  returned  to  its 
home,  where  it  yet  remains — a  treasured  reminder  to  the 
citizens  of  Clark  county  of  the  day  when  their  boys  strode 
away  to  do  their  country's  bidding. 


COMPANY   E    ROSTER. 

L.  C.  BAIRD,  Captain — Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Draftsman,  re- 
signed Jan.  5,  1899. 

JAMES  W.  FORTUNE,  Captain — Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Attorney, 
promoted  from  First  Lieutenant  Jan,  5,  1899. 


282  HISTORY    OF    THE 

W.    W.    CROCKER,    First    Lieutenant — Jeffersonville,    Ind.,. 

Electrician,  promoted  from  Second  Lieutenant  Jan.  5r 

1899. 
E.  A.  McCAULEY,    Second   Lieutenant — Jeffersonville,  Ind.,. 

Merchant,  promoted  from  First  Sergeant  Jan.  5,  1899. 

SERGEANTS. 

Van  Liew  John  K.,  1st  Sergt.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Timmonds,  John  W.,  Q.   M.   Sergeant,  Jeffersonville,    Ind.,. 

Engineer. 

Meiboom,  J.  Henry,  Jeffersonville.  Ind.,  Packer. 
Ferguson,  Ross  J.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Strieker,  Henry  F.,  Charlestown,  Ind.,  Fanner. 
Samuels,  Conway  C.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Clerk. 

CORPORALS. 

Biddle,  Cal.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Biedenbach,  John,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Carpenter. 
Bonnell,  John  H.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Flora,  Francis  G.,  New  Albany,  Ind.,  Puddler. 
Hyatt,  Walter  E.,  Sellersburg,  Ind.,  Draftsman. 
Keifer,  Thomas  F.,  New  Albany,  Ind.,  Painter. 
Laidley,  Willis  J.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Machinist. 
LeClare,  James  N.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Lee,  John,  Indianapolis,  Ind..  Brass  Finisher. 
Peckinpaugh,  Thomas  L.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Pickering,  John  C.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Raines,  Walter  P.,  Utica,  Ind.,  Brass  Worker. 

MUSICIANS. 

White,  Edwin,  Northfield,  Vt.,  Salesman,  discharged  Feb. 
12,  1899. 

Dumenil,  Ellsworth,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Musician,  trans- 
ferred to  Regt.  Band  Aug.  26,  1898. 

Jones,  Percy,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Farmer,  transferred  from  Regt. 
Band. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  283 

ARTIFICER. 
McClure,  Julian  C.,  Scottsburgh,  Farmer. 

WAGONER. 

Kelly,  Marion,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Fireman. 

PRIVATES. 

Angleton,  Robert,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Blacksmith,  died  Oct. 

11,  1898. 

Applegate,  Charles  L.,  Woodsbury,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Barnard,  Charles  O.,  Farmer. 

Belknapp,  William  E.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Bottorff,  Harvey  J.,  Sellersburgh,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Bridgevvater,  Daniel,  Scottsburgh,  Ind.,  Painter. 
Buckley,  Benjamin  C.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Painter. 
Carr,  Charles  F.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Carr,  Warren,  Charlestown,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Clemmons,  Jesse,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Stave  Cutter. 
Clemmons,  Walter  H.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Davis,  Charles  S.,  Scottsburgh,  Laborer. 
Delanty,  John,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Moulder. 
Dobson,  Andrew,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Dorsey,  Walter  A.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Engineer,  discharged 

Jan.  28,  1899. 
Doane,  Charles  R.,  Washington,  Ind.,  Laborer,  transferred 

from  159th  Ind.  Vol. 
Dunham,    Jesse,    Indianapolis,    Ind.,  Farmer,  transferred    to 

Hospital  Corps  Aug.  20,  1898. 
Edwards,  Stephen,  Sellersburg,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Ellerman,  William  H.,  Louisville,  Ky.,  Railroader. 
Ervin,  Howard  L.,  Scottsburgh,  Ind.,  Railroader. 
Gilbert,  William  B.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Griffiths,  James  C.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Teamster. 
Griffith,  John  A.,  Charleston,  Ind.,  Horse  Trainer,  transferred 

to  Hospital  Corps,  Sept.  15,  1898. 
Harrell,  A.  Thomas,  Scottsburg,  Cooper. 
Harris,  James,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Painter. 


284  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Herberick,  Jacob,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Plumber. 

Herman,  John,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Harbin,  Robert  L.,  Charlestown,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Hartley.  Clarence,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Farmer,  discharged 
Feb.  18,  1888. 

Howard,  Frank  L.,  Charlestown,  Ind.,  Tinner. 

Houghland,  Rosco,  Scottsburgh,  Ind.,  Painter. 

Jackson,  Schuyler  C.,  New  Albany,  Ind.,  Glass  Worker. 

Jacobs,  James  N.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Painter. 

Javens,  Jackson  E.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Jones,  David,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Iron  Worker. 

Kelly,  John  E.,  Louisville,  Ky.,  Bar  Keeper. 

Kelly,  Albert  E.,  Putnam,  Putnam  Co.,  Ind.,  Attorney,  trans- 
ferred from  159th  Ind.  Vol. 

Kennedy,  Hugh,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Klosterman,  Otto,  Louisville,  Ky.,  Farmer. 

Knowland,  William  A.,  Charlestown,  Ind.,  Cooper. 

Koons,  Walter  L,  Charlestown,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Koons,  Charles,  Charlestown,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Lewis,  Horace  L,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Fireman,  discharged 
Feb.  16,  1899. 

Mayberry,  Charles,  Charlestown,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Meadows,  John  R.,  Carrolton,  Ky.,  Cook. 

Meyer,  John  F.,  Jeffersonville.  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Meyer,  John  H.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Miller,  John  L,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Painter. 

Mitchell,  Herbert.  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Mitchell,  Berkie,  Scottsburgh,  Ind.,  Teamster. 

McGafferty,  William,  Washington,  Ind.,  Printer,  transferred 
from  159th  Ind.  Vol. 

Nelson,  Fred.,  Detroit,  Mich.,  Sailor. 

O'Brien,  Frank,  New  Albany,  Ind.,  Glass  Worker. 

Ogden,  Homer  O.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Railroader. 

Oliver,  James,  Utica,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Pearson,  Theodore  B.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Student. 

Perry,  Archie  C.,  Scottsburgh,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Perry,  Homer,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Student. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  285. 

Phillips,  Orville  G.,  Scottsburgh,  Ind.,  Farmer,  discharged 
Feb.  9,  1899. 

Powers,  Eugene,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Clerk. 

Powers,  Claude  B.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Musician. 

Rhodes,  Fred  P.,  Atlanta,  Ind.,  Farmer,  discharged  Feb.  13,. 
1899. 

Ryan,*John  E.,  New  Albany,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Rector,  John  A.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Varnisher. 

Rogers,  Charles  T.,  Charlestown,  Ind.,  Reporter. 

Sauer^Elmer  C.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Machinist. 

Stepp,  Jesse,  Sellersburgh,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Smith,  George,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Simms,  Willis  B.,  Utica,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Taylor,"]George  S.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Railroader. 

Tatom/j William,  Utica,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Thomas,  Wilmer  H.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Moulder. 

Tobin,  James,  Anderson,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Tobin,  Matthew,  Anderson,  Ind.,  Railroader,  discharged  Jan.. 
7,  1899. 

Tomlin,  Lafe  W.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Steamboatman. 

Twomey,  George   W.,  Jeffersonville,    Ind.,  Medical  Student. 

Thompson,  James  W.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Thompson,  William  M.,  Scottsburgh,  Ind.,  Barber. 

Tharp,  Elmer,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Carpenter,  transferred  to 
Signal  Corps  Dec.  10,  1898. 

Vance,  Arthur  R.,  New  Albany,  Ind.,  Salesman. 

Weaver,  Howard,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Blacksmith. 

Webb,  Frank  F.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Paper  Hanger. 

Wright,  Charles  M.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Railroader. 

Wurlel,  William,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Plumber. 

Worrell,  Luther  M.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  Electrician,  trans- 
ferred to  Signal  Corps  Dec.  10,  1899. 

Whittsett,  Lemmel  E.,  Duputy,  Ind.,  Farmer,  transferred  to- 
Signal  Corp  Dec.  10,  1899. 

Youmans,  Edward^H.,  Jeffersonville.  Ind.,  Laborer. 


SECOND   BATTALION 

B,   i, 


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ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  289 

HAROLD  C.  MEGREW. 

Major  Harold  C.  Megrew  prepared  himself  for  the  po- 
sition he  held  in  the  regiment  by  his  early  choice  of  educa- 
tional training  and  by  his  acquired  experience  in  military 
affairs  before  he  entered  the  service  with  the  rank  of  major 
and  appointment  to  the  command  of  the  Second  Battalion. 
He  was  born  in  Indianapolis  March  16,  1859,  and  after 
preparatory  training  was  educated  at  the  Howard  Military 
Institute,  in  Maryland.  He  was  a  member  of  Company 
D,  in  the  Washington  (District  of  Columbia)  Light  Infan- 
try, National  Guard.  He  was  a  member  of  the  National 
Guard  in  Ohio,  serving  by  special  appointment  on  the  staff 
of  Governors  Foraker  and  Bushnell.  He  has  been  in  the 
service  of  the  government,  filling  positions  of  responsibility 
at  home  and  in  Europe.  He  was  captain  in  the  Ben  Har- 
rison Camp  of  the  Sons  of  Veterans,  and  at  the  time  of  the 
president's  call  for  troops  was  inspector-general  of  Indiana, 
and  chief  of  staff  of  Governor  Mount,  with  the  rank  of 
colonel.  It  was  no  small  sacrifice  of  family  and  business 
interests  that  Major  Megrew  made  on  entering  the  volun- 
teer service;  but,  with  the  hope  of  being  actively  engaged 
at  the  front,  he  accepted  his  commission  and  became  ma- 
jor of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Indiana  commandery  of  the  Loyal  Legion, 
and  one  of  its  board  of  officers. 

\Yhile  at  Camp  Cuba  Libre,  Major  Megrew  was  presi- 
dent of  the  general  court  martial  of  the  Third  Division,  and 
was  summary  court  officer  from  the  regiment's  organiza- 
tion until,  by  direction  of  the  major-surgeon,  he  left  for  a 
thirty-days'  leave  of  absence,  January  16,  1899.  He 
returned  to  the  States,  and,  after  a  twenty  days'  extension, 
came  back  Monday,  March  13.  He  was  in  every  way  an 
army  official.  He  delighted  in  his  work,  was  straightfor- 

19 


290 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


ward  and  impartial   among  his   men.      He  returned  to  his 
professional  duties  at  Indianapolis  when  mustered  out. 


COMPANY  B. 


WINSTON  MENZIES. 

Captain  Winston  Menzies  is  among  the  youngest  of 
the  captains  of  the  regiment.  He  was  born  at  Mt.  Vernon, 
Indiana,  November  22,  1875.  His  grandfather  was  a 


CAPTAIN  WINSTON  MENZIES. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  29 1 

major-general  in  the  Civil  war  and  his  father,  G.  V.  Men- 
zies, is  a  retired  naval  officer  who  held  the  rank  of  lieuten- 
ant-commander while  in  the  service.  After  the  usual  pre- 
paratory training,  which  Captain  Menzies  received  at  Corn- 
wall-on-the-Hudson,  he  entered  the  State  University  of 
Indiana  in  1892,  in  which  institution  his  collegiate  educa- 
tion was  finished  in  1896.  He  took  an  active  interest  in 
athletics  and  was  a  member  of  various  athletic  teams  of 
his  college.  .He  engaged  for  a  short  time  in  the  cotton 
business  in  Texas  and  returned  to  his  native  state  in  time 
to  enlist  for  the  war  with  Spain.  When  it  became  evi- 
dent that  the  company  organized  in  Mt.  Vernon  would 
not  be  accepted  in  the  first  call,  Mr.  Menzies  enlisted  as 
a  private  in  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-ninth 
Indiana,  but  upon  the  second  call  being  issued  obtained 
his  discharge  and  came  home  to  go  out  with  the  com- 
pany of  his  choice  as  captain.  During  the  sickness  and 
absence  of  Major  Megrew,  Captain  Menzies  was  in  com- 
mand of  the  Second  Battalion. 


ASA  ELLWOOD  WILLIAMS. 

First  Lieutenant  Asa  Ellwood  Williams  received  his 
education  at  Purdue  University  and  the  State  Univer- 
sity of  Indiana,  in  the  former  of  which  institution  he  was 
second  lieutenant  of  Company  A  of  the  cadets.  At  the 
State  University  Mr.  Williams  made  a  specialty  of  the  study 
of  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Posey  county  shortly 
after  graduation,  where  he  practiced  prior  to  his  enlistment, 
and  where  he  held  the  position  of  deputy  prosecuting  attor- 
ney. While  in  college  he  was  a  member  of  the  college 
football  team  and  manager  of  the  baseball  nine.  On  the 
1 3th  of  June  Lieutenant  Williams  was  married  to  Miss 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


FIRST  LIEUTENANT  ASA  ELLWOOD  WILLIAMS. 

Ethel  Hinch;  they  were  married  under  the  beautiful  silken 
flag  of  the  company  at  10  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
together  came  to  Camp  Mount,  where  Mr.  Williams  was 
mustered  in  as  first  lieutenant  on  the  iithof  July. 


PERCY    WELCH. 

Second  Lieutenant  Percy  Welch  was  born  at  Shawnee- 
town,  Illinois,  July  30,  1869.  He  received  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  of  southern  Indiana,  after 
which  he  took  a  course  in  Ewing  College,  Illinois.  He 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 

taught  school  in  Indiana  for  a  period  of  eight  years  and 
was  admitted  to  the  Posey  county  bar  in  1897.  Mr.  Welch 
was  a  member  of  the  Indiana  National  Guard  for  three 
years,  holding  the  position  of  first  sergeant.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1894  to  Miss  Marguerite  Jones,  of  New  Harmony, 


SECOND  LIEUTENANT  PERCY  WELCH. 

Indiana.  In  June  he  was  elected  to  the  second  lieuten- 
ancy of  Company  B,  and  shared  the  fortunes  of  the  com- 
pany until  detailed,  January  10,  for  provost  duty  with  the 
Tenth  United  States  Infantry  in  Havana  and  Matanzas. 
He  was  relieved  from  this  latter  duty  in  time  to  join  his 
regiment  for  muster  out  at  Savannah.  Mr.  Welch  will 


294  HISTORY    OF    THE 

renew  his  legal  studies  in  Indiana  University  and  expects  to 
engage  in  the  practice  of  law  in  the  county  from  which  he 
came. 


HISTORY  OF  COMPANY  B. 

During  the  month  of  April,  while  the  dogs  of  war  were 
growling  and  the  motto  "Remember  the  Maine"  was 
uppermost  in  all  men's  minds,  an  attempt  was  made  to 
organize  a  military  company  at  Mt.  Vernon.  The  first 
attempt  was  a  failure  as  there  was  no  possibility  of  accept- 
ance on  the  first  call.  Winston  Menzies,  who  was  to  have 
been  captain  of  the  company,  fearing  there  would  be  no 
second  call,  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  H,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Fjfty-ninth  Indiana.  A.  E.  Williams  and  Percy 
Welch,  two  enthusiastic  embryo  warriors,  held  the  organ- 
ization awaiting  the  hoped-for  second  call.  May  25  Presi- 
dent McKinley  issued  his  second  call  for  volunteers,  and 
Posey  county  responded  nobly  to  the  call.  A  recruiting 
office  was  opened  in  Asa  E.  Williams'  law  office  and  the 
new  recruits  were  sent  into  camp  at  the  base  ball  park  at 
the  fair  grounds.  Our  first  camp  was  named  in  honor  of 
Governor  Hovey.  It  consisted  of  three  tents  and  the  base 
ball  amphitheater.  The  commissary  department  was  pre- 
sided over  by  Frank  Jones,  and  it  was  a  constant  struggle 
to  keep  "the  wolf  from  the  door." 

But  the  patriotic  Women's  Relief  Corps  and  the  char- 
itable citizens  of  Mt.  Vernon  rallied  to  our  support  and  a 
famine  was  happily  averted  in  Camp  Hovey.  The  city 
council  of  Mt.  Vernon  generously  voted  us  a  subsidy  and 
we  received  a  great  bonanza  from  the  proceeds  of  an  ice 
cream  festival  held  in  the  court  house,  by  the  Women's 
Relief  Corps,  for  our  benefit.  In  the  last  days  of  June  the 
examinations  of  the  recruits  was  held  by  Drs.  Welch  and 


n 


co 


296  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Hardwick  at  the  Masonic  hall.  The  examination  was  very 
thorough  and  many  would-be  warriors  were  disappointed 
by  being  rejected.  Winston  Menzies  in  the  meantime  had 
secured  his  discharge  from  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
ninth  to  come  home  as  captain  of  the  Mt.Vernon  company. 
At  the  election  of  officers,  Winston  Menzies  was  chosen 
captain;  Asa  Williams,  first  lieutenant,  and  Percy  Welch, 
second  lieutenant.  Drills  were  held  daily  at  the  fair 
grounds  and  nightly  in  the  court  house  yard.  The  evening 
of  June  29,  while  drilling  in  the  court  yard,  we  received  a 
dispatch  calling  our  company  to  Indianapolis.  The  glad 
news  was  received  by  the  company  with  great  rejoicing. 
At  noon  the  next  day,  while  in  company  front  awaiting  the 
captain's  order  to  leave  Camp  Hovey,  the  company  sus- 
tained the  only  defeat  in  its  history,  being  suddenly  charged 
upon  by  a  blind  cow,  which  caused  an  instantaneous  stam- 
pede in  our  ranks.  Captain  Menzies,  after  rallying  the 
company,  marched  us  to  the  court  house,  where  we  were 
presented  with  a  beautiful  silken  flag  by  Mrs.  Charles 
Brenkman,  on  behalf  of  the  Women's  Relief  Corps.  Im- 
mediately after  the  flag  presentation  we  marched  to  the 
Evansville  &  Terre  Haute  depot  and  departed  for  Indian- 
apolis. Company  B's  first  complement  of  arms  was  fur- 
nished by  John  Moeller,  the  patriotic  cooper  of  Posey's 
capital;  each  man  was  armed  with  a  mammoth  Posey 
county  hoop-pole  and  the  company  did  valiant  service  with 
these  arms  on  the  guard  line  at  Camp  Mount.  On  the 
morning  of  July  I,  Indianapolis  was  reached  and  we  were 
quartered  in  barn  "  B."  Company  B  has  reason  to  be 
proud  of  its  merited  reputation  in  the  regiment;  always 
ready  and  cheerfully  willing  to  perform  its  duty,  always 
able  to  have  out  the  largest  number  of  men  for  drills  or 
reviews;  health  record  second  to  none,  not  a  death  while 
in  the  service. 


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298  HISTORY    OF    THE 

COMPANY    B  ROSTER. 

WINSTON  MINZIES,  Captain — Mt.  Vernon,  Ind. 

ASA  E.  WILLIAMS,  First  Lieutenant — Mt.  Vernon,  Ind. 

PERCY  WELCH,  Second  Lieutenant — Mt.  Vernon,  Ind. 

SERGEANTS. 

Lowenhatipt,  Mike,  1st  Serg't,  Mt.  Vernon.  Ind.,  Merchant. 
Jones,  Frank,  Q.  M.  Serg't,  Springfield,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Works,  Edward,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Butcher. 
Stephens,  Harold,  New  Harmony,  Ind.,  Student,  discharged 

Feb.  1,  1899. 

Fuhrer,  William  B.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Billposter. 
Schultz,  Oscar  T.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,   Student,   Serg't  Maj. 

2d  Battalion. 
Hovey,  Randolph    J.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,    Student,    promoted 

Serg't  from  Corp.  Feb.  16,  1899. 

CORPORALS. 

Bennett,  Charles  A.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,   Farmer,    discharged 

Jan.  31,  1899. 

Nash,  Flairance  W.,  Poseyville,  Ind.,  Tinner. 
Miller,  Charles  H.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Moulder. 
Kreutzinger,  James  H.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Moore,  Noble,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Tingle,  George  R.,  Princeton,  Ind.,  Machinist. 
Welsh,  Michael,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Laborer,  promoted  to  Corp. 

July  27,  1898. 
Switzer,  Harry   T.,  Princeton,  Ind.,  Machinist,   promoted  to 

Corp.  Oct.   18,  1898. 

Harris,  John  M.,  Princeton,  Ind.,  Butcher. 
Green,   George,  Jr.,  Mt.  Vernon,    Ind.,  Clerk,  promoted    to 

Corp.  Dec.  1,  1898. 
Stewart,  William,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Pilot,  promoted  to_Corp. 

Feb.  9,  1899. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  299 

Utley,  James  K.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Ilorse-shoer,  promoted  to 

Corp.  Feb.  21,  1899. 
Bays,    Harold    C.,    Sullivan,  Ind.,   Electrician,   promoted    to 

Corp.  Feb.  21,  1899. 

ARTIFICER. 

King,  Samuel  W.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Blacksmith. 

WAGONER. 

Kahn,  Samuel,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Insurance  Agent. 

MUSICIANS. 

Lord,  Harry  M.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Musician,  transferred  to 

Regimental  Band  Aug.  23,  1898. 
Lance,  Edward,  New  Harmony,  Ind.,  Florist,  transferred  to 

Regimental  Band  Aug.  23,  1898. 
Wehr,  Otto,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Machinist.  . 
Cravens,  George  W.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Printer. 

PRIVATES. 

Allen,  James  K.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Brickmason. 

Alsop,  Linwood  Z.,  New  Harmony,  Ind.,  Plumber,  discharged 

Feb.  4,  1899. 

Bayer,  George,  Ft.  Branch,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Berlin,  Charles  T.,  New  Harmony,  Ind.,  Barber. 
Bieker,     Frank,    Mt.     Vernon,     Ind.,     Farmer,     discharged 

Feb.    2,  1899. 

Boren,  Ralph  T.,  New  Harmony,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Brokaw,  Arthur,  Ft.  Branch,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Bruce,    George  M.,   Ft.  Branch,  Ind..  Barber,  discharged  Mar 

15,  1899. 

Cantrell,  James,  West  End,  111.,  Farmer. 
Casey,  Benjamin  F.,  Owensville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Cawthone,  Arthur,    New  Harmony,   Ind.,    Clerk,  discharged 

Feb.   7,  1899. 

Cooper,  Levi,  Ft.  Branch,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Cox,  Charles  F.,  Princeton,  Ind.,  Laborer. 


3OO  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Cox,  George,  Carmi,  111.,  Farmer. 

Crilley,  James,  Ft.  Branch,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Cunningham,  Isaac  N.,  Hazelton,   Ind.,  Farmer,    discharged 

Sept.  27,  1898. 

Drear,  Thomas,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Carpenter. 
Easmon,  Jacob,  Carmi,  111.,  Laborer. 
Frohman,  Peter,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Grabert,  Gustave  W.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Miller. 
Hanks,  Charlie,  Princeton,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Harding,  George  F.,  Golden  Gate,  111.,  Farmer. 
Hayes,  William  S.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Hill,  Richard,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Holleman,  Porter  G.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Machinist. 
Edwards,  Calie,  Scalesville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Estes,  Samuel,  New  Harmony,  Ind.,  Brickmason. 
Houchin,  Otta  D.,  Pikeville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Jones,  Lemuel  P.,- Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Grocerman. 
Kaedel,  Andrew,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Kennedy, John,  Dekoven,  Ky.,  Coalminer. 
Koerner,  Ferdinand,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Teacher. 
Kuykendall,  Noah,  Bufkin,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Lance,  James,  New  Harmony,  Ind.,  Farmer,  discharged  Jan. 

'  25,  1899. 

Lance,  John,  New  Harmony,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
LeGrange,  Oscar  W.,  West  Franklin,  Ind.,  Carpenter. 
Maus,  Charles  G.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Males,  John  W.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Moulder. 
Marshall,  David  R.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Machinist. 
McAtee,  George,  Oatsville,  Ind.,  Farmer,  discharged,   Jan. 

27,  1899. 
Meadows,  Floyd,  Princeton,  Ind.,  Farner,  discharged  Mar.  2, 

1899. 

Miller,  Charles  A.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Murphy,  George  A.,  Fitzgerald,  Ga.,  Farmer. 
Murphy  Orval,  Fitzgerald,  Ga.,  Farmer. 
Newell,  Frank,  Joplin,  Mo.,  Farmer. 
Nicholson,  Arthur,  Springerton,  111.,   Farmer. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  3<DI 

Nuthmann,  Charles,  Princeton,  Ind.,  Railroad  Caller. 

Ott,  Floyd,  Princeton,  Ind.,  Boilermaker. 

Parke,  James,  Spurgeon,   Ind.,  Farmer. 

Partner,  Marion,  Emma,  111.,  Farmer. 

Pearson,  John  F.,  Hazleton,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Pfeifer,  August,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Tailor. 

Phifer,  George   B.,  Booneville,   Ind.,   Engineer,  dishonorably 

discharged  Feb.  25,  1899. 
Pirnat,  Albert,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Druggist. 
Powers,  William  M.,  Madison ville,  Ky.,  Farmer. 
Reavis,  Fred  G.,  Princeton,  Ind.,  Stone  Cutter. 
Redenour,  Frank,  New  Harmony,  Ind.,  Hostler. 
Reed,  Robert  R.,  Booneville,  Ind.,  Shoemaker. 
Rose,  Henry,  Owensville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Schaet'er,  August  E.,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Harnessmaker. 
Singleton,  Perry  F.,  Pikeville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Sluder,  Lafayette,  Henderson,  Ky.,  Farmer. 
Smith,  Jay  J.,  Hazleton,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Smith,  Henry,  Owensville,  Ind.,  Lather. 
Switzer,  Lyman,  Princeton,  Ind.,  Carpenter. 
Spencer,  Samuel,  Owensville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Summers,  John,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Butcher. 
Trapp,  William,  Carmi,  111.,  Poultry  Dresser. 
Turner,  Burl    E.,    Owensville,   Ind.,  Laborer,  transferred   to- 

Hospital  Corps  Aug.  28,  1898. 
Vint,  Everett,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Wallace,  Peter,  Booneville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Walter,  Edward,  Mt.  Vernon,  Cook,  transferred  to  Hospital 

Corps  Aug.  20,  1898. 

Ward,  Clarence  E.,  New  Harmony,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Weissinger,  Jesse,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Carpenter. 
Westfall,  Thomas  A.,  Hazleton,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Williams,  Harry,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Woerner,  William,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Molder. 
Yeager,  Harvey,  Owensville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Baldwin,  Walter,  Mt. Vernon,  Ind.,  Carpenter,  enlisted  Aug. 

5,  1898. 


3O2  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Corkin,  William  L.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Barber,  enlisted  Dec. 

9,  1898. 

Hoge,  Smith,  Delphi,  Ind.,  Student,  enlisted  Aug.  10,  1898. 
Norton,  Nelson,  Sullivan,  Ind.,  Farmer,  transferred  from  159th 

Ind.  Inf.,  Nov.  19,  1898. 
Stalnaker,  Morton,  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Laborer,  enlisted  Dec. 

10,  1898. 

COMPANY  I. 


WILLIAM  GUTHRIE. 

Captain  William  Guthrie  was  one  of  the  ablest  men 
in  the  regiment;  he  is  a  luwyer  by  profession,  and  although 
he  came  into  the  service  without  any  previous  military 
training,  he  made  out  of  his  raw  recruits  a  company  of 
most  excellent  regimental  standing.  Captain  Guthrie  is  a 
native  of  Ohio,  being  born  in  Hamilton  in  the  year  1852. 
When  a  child  his  parents  moved  to  Indiana,  settling  in  the 
county  of  White.  It  was  in  the  common  schools  of  this 
county  the  young  man  began  his  early  educational  training; 
entering  the  high  school  of  Monticello,  the  county  seat,  he 
studied  in  that  institution  until  a  few  years  later  he  went 
to  Logansport  and  finished  his  course  in  the  Academy  of 
that  place.  For  eleven  years  after  graduation  he  was  a 
teacher  in  the  schools  of  his  county  and  in  1880  was  elected 
to  the  position  of  county  superintendent  of  public  instruc- 
tion, when  he  was  but  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  which 
position  he  filled  until  the  year  1884.  While  teaching  he 
used  his  spare  time  in  the  study  of  law  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  of  his  adopted  county  in  1880,  where  he  has  since 
been  practicing  his  profession  in  the  law  firm  of  Guthrie  & 
Bushnell.  He  was  a  man  of  exemplary  habits  and  took 
unusual  interest  in  the  morale  of  his  company. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  303 


CAPTAIN  WILLIAM  GUTHRIE. 


ANTHONY  A.   ANHEIRE. 

First  Lieutenant  Anthony  A.  Anheire  was  born  in 
the  city  Logansport,  June  29,  1867,  and  received  his 
early  education  in  the  German  Catholic  schools  of  that 
place,  after  which  he  entered  Hall's  Business  College,  also 
situated  in  Logansport.  After  completing  his  education  he 
accepted  a  position  with  the  Pittsburg,  Cincinnati  &  St. 
Louis  railroad,  which  position  he  retained  for  eight  years. 
In  1886  Mr.  Anheire  moved  to  Monticello,  where  for  sev- 


304 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


eral  years  he  engaged  successfully  in  the  cigarmaking  busi- 
ness and  where  he  served  for  two  years  as  city  marshal, 
which  position  he  occupied  when  he  enlisted  as  first 
lieutenant  of  the  company  that  came  out  from  that  place. 


FIRST  LIEUTENANT  ANTHONY  A.  ANHEIRE. 

Lieutenant  Anheire  was  the  first  officer  of  the  regiment 
to  place  his  foot  upon  Cuban  soil,  being  of  a  detail  that 
preceded  the  regiment  on  the  Roumania,  that  carried  the 
greater  portion  of  the  regimental  livestock.  Mr.  Anheire 
was  on  detached  service  while  in  Cuba  with  the  Tenth 
Infantry  at  Havana  and  Mantanzas,  leaving  the  regiment 
on  December  10,  and  returning  a  few  days  before  its 
departure  for  America. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


305 


JOHN  R.  WARD. 

Second  Lieutenant  John  R.  Ward  was  born  in  White 
county,  Indiana,  on  the  first  day  of  April,  1872.  He  was 
educated  in  the  city  schools  of  Monticello,  after  which  he 
spent  one  year  in  the  State  Normal  schools  of  Valparaiso, 


SECOND  LIEUTENANT  JOHN  R.  WARD. 

and  then  entered  the  State  University  at  Bloomington.  in 
1893,  where  he  graduated  in  the  school  of  law  in  1893;  in 
the  same  year  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  was. appointed 
to  the  position  of  deputy  prosecuting  attorney  in  his  native 

city,    Monticello,    in  which  place  he  was   engaged   in  the 
20 


306  HISTORY    OF    THE 

practice  of  his  profession  when  he    enlisted   and  came   out 
as  second  lieutenant  of  Company  I. 


HISTORY  OF  COMPANY  I. 

"The  Volunteers!  the  Volunteers! 
God  send  us  peace,  through  all  our  years; 
But  if  the  cloud  of  war  appears 
We'll  see  them  once  again.'4 

WILLIAM  RAINES  LYTLE. 

Yesterday  shapes  and  colors  to-day  and  history  repeats 
itself.  The  example  set  by  the  fathers  in  1861  was 
imitated  by  the  sons  in  1898.  As  soon  as  it  was  learned 
that  war  with  Spain  was  imminent  an  enthusiastic  public 
meeting,  called  by  Tippecanoe  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  was  held  in 
the  Court  House  at  Monticello,  April  2ist,  1898,  and  after 
patriotic  addresses  and  songs  resolutions  were  read  and 
adopted  which  .concluded  as  follows: 

"Being  actuated  by  that  patriotic  spirit  that  has 
sustained  our  flag  on  land  and  sea  and  carried  it  to  final 
victory  on  all  occasions  of  the  past,  we  hereby  declare  our 
full  confidence  in  our  National  and  State  authorities.  And 
we  most  respectfully  represent  to  the  Governor  of  the 
State  of  Indiana  that  we  are  now  ready  to  perform  in 
behalf  of  our  Government  and  State  such  services  in  the 
present  conflict  with  Spain  as  may  be  in  our  power  and  in 
his  judgment  required  by  the  occasion." 

A  company  was  at  once  organized  and  the  Governor  of 
the  State  was  notified  that  it  was  ready  to  be  mustered 
into  service  at  a  moment's  warning.  This  was  before 
troops  were  called  for,  but  the  Governor  assured  Captain 
Guthrie  and  Lieutenants  Anhier  and  Ward  that  the  com- 
pany would  surely  be  needed,  and  said  for  them  to  drill  it 


o 

o 
s 


308  HISTORY    OF    THE 

and  put  it  into  condition  for  service,  and  on  June  3Oth, 
1898,  he  sent  the  following  message: 

"  CAPTAIN  WM.  GUTHRIE:  Your  company  will  report 
at  Indianapolis  on  next  Monday,  coming  via  "Monon." 
You  will  await  further  instructions  from  A.  F.  Houghton, 
Master  of  Transportation.  JAMES  A.  MOUNT,  Gov." 

Upon  receipt  of  this  message  the  Captain  wrote  the 
Governor  asking  that  the  company  be  allowed  to  remain 
in  camp  at  the  Fair  Grounds  west  of  Monticello  until 
Tuesday,  July  5th,  in  order  that  the  men  might  spend 
Sunday  at  home  and  celebrate  "The  Fourth"  at  Monti- 
cello.  This  request  was  granted  and  while  some  of  the 
men  spent  Saturday  and  Sunday  at  home  the  parents  of 
others  visited  them  in  camp.  Monday,  the  Fourth,  was 
spent  at  Monticello  in  celebrating  and  making  final  arrange- 
ments for  departure.  The  ladies  of  the  town  served  dinner 
to  the  company  in  the  Court  House. 

Tuesday  came  and  with  it  came  friends  from  far  and 
near  to  say  good-bye  and  see  the  company  take  its  depart- 
ure. The  G.  A.  R.  and  different  civic  organizations  of 
the  town  turned  out  and  escorted  the  company  to  the 
train  and  at  2:34  p.  M.,  amid  the  boom  of  cannon,  the 
waving  of  flags  and  handkerchiefs  and  tears  of  friends,  the 
Company  boarded  the  train  for  Indianapolis  where  on 
July  1 3th,  1898,  it  was  mtfstered  in  as  Company  I,  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry. 

The  company  was  constantly  with  the  regiment  and 
participated  in  all  its  movements  until  January  8,  1899, 
when  it  was  detailed  on  provost  duty  at  Marianao,  Cuba, 
where  it  remained  until  January  24th,  returning  to  the 
regiment  on  that  day. 

The  muster-out  occurred  on  April  30,  1899,  and  on  the 
same  day  the  company  took  the  train  for  home,  returning 


3IO  HISTORY    OF    THE 

by  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  Indianapolis,  Indiana. 
Arrangements  had  been  made  for  a  review  of  the  whole 
regiment  at  Washington  by  the  President,  but  owing  to  the 
unexpected  delay  of  trains  this  was  not  fully  carried  out. 
However,  as  this  company  and  three  others  arrived  on  the 
first  section  of  the  train  on  Monday  evening,  May  ist,  they 
were  met  by  a  committee  of  Indianians  who  escorted  them 
to  the  White  House  where  they  were  permitted  to  pass 
through  the  reception  room.  Each  member  of  the 
company  was  presented  with  a  silk  badge  bearing  a  cut  of 
the  Capitol  building  and  these  words:  "Greeting:  i6ist 
Regiment  Indiana  Volunteers.  By  Indianians  in  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  May  ist,  1899." 

Elaborate  arrangements  had  been  made  for  the  recep- 
tion of  this  and  the  Michigan  City  and  Hammond  com- 
panies on  Tuesday  evening,  May  2,  but  the  previous  delay 
of  the  train  made  this  impossible  and  in  lieu  of  this  an 
early  breakfast  was  served  on  Wednesday  morning.  The 
generous  and  loyal  hospitality  of  the  ladies  was  greatly 
appreciated  by  the  companies,  and  the  greeting  extended 
them  by  the  Governor  and  his  acceptance  of  the  regi- 
mental flag  and  colors  were  most  touching,  eloquent  and 
inspiring. 

The  company  reached  Monticello  at  12  M.,  May  3rd, 
and  were  received  with  that  joy  that  resides  only  in  the 
hearts  of  those  who  have  been  anxiously  waiting  for  the 
return  of  departed  and  long  absent  children.  The  home 
greeting  will  ever  be  remembered.  Again  the  cannon 
boomed,  flags  waved,  and  bands  discoursed  music,  while 
excited  crowds  surged  along  the  streets,  keeping  pace  with 
the  boys  and  clasping  their  hands  as  they  marched  to  the 
room  where  a  home-coming  feast  had  been  prepared  by  the 
ladies  of  the  town.  The  rapture  of  the  delighted  populace, 
the  bounteous  dinner,  and  address  of  welcome  left  an 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  311 

impress  in  the  minds  of  the  receiving  as  well  as  the  return- 
ing never  to  be  eradicated,  and  fully  demonstrated  the  loy- 
alty that  resides  in  the  hearts  of  the  American  people. 


COMPANY  I  ROSTER. 

\V i i.i.i AM    GUTHRIE,  Captain,  Monticello.  Lawyer. 
ANTHONY    A.    ANIIEIR,    1st    Lieut.,    Monticello,  Cigar- 
maker. 

JOHN  R.  WARD,  2d  Lieut.,  Monticello,  Lawyer. 

SERGEANTS. 

Strubbe,  Harry  E.,  Goodland,  Plumber,  promoted  1st  Sergt. 

Nov.  29,  1898,  from  corporal, 
lines,  Fred.   S.,  Q.  M.   Sergt.,  Monticello,  Clerk,  appointed 

Quartermaster  Serg't  from  corporal  Dec.  22,  1898. 
Best,  William  D.,  Brookston,  Laborer,  mustered  in  as  Serg't 

July  13,  1898. 
Cromer,  Robert  H.,  Logansport,  Clerk,  mustered  in  as  Serg't 

July  13,  1898. 
Kassabaum,  George   W.,   Kentland,  Lawyer,  mustered  in   as 

Serg't  July  13,  1898. 
Hubbard,   Charles  E.,   Francesville,   Farmer,   mustered   in   as 

Serg't  July  13,  1898. 

CORPORALS. 

Thompson,  Clinton  H.,  Monon,  Student,  mustered  in  as  Corp. 

July,  13,  1898. 
Hausman,  William   Earl,  Rensselaer,    Salesman,  mustered  in 

'as  Corp.  July  13,  1898. 
Holdridge,  Leroy  L.,  Wolcott,  Farmer,  mustered   in  as  Corp. 

July  13,  1898. 
Goodwin,  Marion    L.,  Battle    Ground,  Farmer,   mustered    in 

as  Corp.  July  13,  1898. 


312  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Wallace,  Lew,  Battle    Ground,    Carpenter,    mustered  in    as 

Corp.  July  13,  1898. 
Burns,  John,  Logansport,  Clerk,  mustered   in   as  Corp.    July 

13,  1898. 
Garrigues,  John  U.,   Francesville,   Carpenter,  mustered  in  as 

Corp.  July  13,  1898. 
Gorman,  Daniel  V.,  Logansport,   Express  Agent,    promoted 

Corp.  from  private  Nov.  29,  1898. 
Graham,  John  W.,  Kirkland,  Laborer,  promoted    Corp.  from 

private  Nov.  29,  1898. 
Gibson,  Frank  E.,  Remington,  Telegrapher,    promoted   Corp. 

from  private  Nov.  29, 1898. 
Coen,  Newel  M.,  Monticello,   Clerk,    promoted   Corp.   from 

Artificer   Dec.  22,  1898. 
Loughry,  Howard,  Monticello,    Student,  promoted   to  Corp. 

from  private  Dec.  21,  1898. 

COOK. 

Smock,  Thomas  W.,  Indianapolis,  Cook,  enlisted  and  enrolled 
as  cook,  Dec.  2,  1898. 

MUSICIANS. 

Conner,  Charles  A.,  Reynolds,  Traveling  Salesman. 
Comer,  William  E.,  Reynolds,  Carpenter. 

PRIVATES. 

Arrick,  K.  Guy,  Monticello,  Tanner. 

Arnold,  Charles  E.,  Delphi,  Machinist. 

Ballard,  Samuel  P.,  Monon,  Ditcher. 

Bates,  Wilbur  F.,  Monticello,  Harness  Manufacturer. 

Benica,  Louis  C.,  Logansport,  Cook. 

Best,  Charles  A.,  Brookston,  Ditcher. 

Bowman,  George,  Battle  Ground,  Farmer. 

Boyles.  Charles  S.,  Battle  Ground,  Hunter. 

Boyles,  Benton  A.,  Battle  Ground,  Barber. 

Bugbee,  George  J.,  Remington,  Teacher. 

Burden,  John  W.,  Monticello,  Laborer. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  313 

Brown,  Arthur  H.,  Monticello,  Student. 

Cooley,  George,  Brookston,  Laborer. 

Cowger,  Raymond,  Monticello,  Farmer. 

Crafton,  Paul,  Bedford,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Crowell,  Richard,  Monticello,  Clerk. 

Coombs,  Edward,  Brownstown,  Laborer,  transferred  from  Co. 

G,  159th  Ind.  to  161st  Ind.,  Dec.  1,  1898. 
Dillman,  William  O.,  Battle  Ground,  Well  Driller. 
Downs,  William  A.,  Battle  Ground,  Carpenter. 
Didlake,  Roy  P.,  Monticello,  Student. 
Diffy,  John,  Pickard,  Laborer. 
Evans,  Albert,  Wheatfield,  Laborer. 
Fehrle,  John  G.,  Goodland,  Laborer. 
Fox,  Stuart  T.,  Monticello,  Student. 
Garwood,  Corydon,  Monon,  Farmer. 
Goodrich,  Guy,  Wolcott,  Carpenter. 
Guest,  Frank  A.,  Monticello,  Laborer. 
Hager,  Charles  A,  Logansport,  Cigarmaker. 
Hartz,  John  F.,  Logansport,  Boilermaker. 
Hart,  Joseph,  Monticello,  Farmer. 
Hawkina,  William  J.,  Rensselaer,  Farmer. 
Hay  ward,  Lorenzo,  Monon,  Farmer. 
Heglin,  William,  Monon,  Cook. 
Herron,  Richard,  Monticello,  Cigarrriaker. 
Hurst,  William  A.,  Battle  Ground,  Barber. 
Hollcraft,  Charles  H.,  Hammond,  Laborer. 
Horner,  George  W.,  Knox,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Karp,  George  A.,  Monticello,  Student. 
Lee,  Claude  J.,  Logansport,  Railroader. 
Lefler,  Israel  J.,  Francesville,  Hostler. 
Leslie,  Albert,  E.,  Monon,  Railroader. 
Longwell,  John,  Francesville,  Farmer. 
Langner,   Gustave  A.,  Evansville,  Laborer,  transferred    from 

Co.  M,  159th   Ind.,  to   Co.  I,  161st  Ind.,  Dec.  4,  1S98. 
Mahoney,  Daniel,  Bessemer,  Mich.,  Brakeman. 
Mair,  Albert,  Monon,  Baker. 
Meyer,  Henry  Gustave,  Remington,  Painter. 


314  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Montrose,  Jesse,  Peru,  Papermaker. 

McCloud,  Edward  E.,  Sheldon,  111.,  Clerk. 

McChristy,  Enos  A.,  Round  Grove,  Farmer. 

McNett,  Walter,  Wolcott,  Farmer. 

Murphy,  Charles  L.,  Remington,  Farmer. 

Myers,  Oliver  C.,  Brookston,  Farmer. 

Maxey,    William,  Booneville,   Farmer,  transferred  to    Co.  I, 

161st  Ind.,  from  Co.  M,  159th  Ind.,  Dec.  1,  1898. 
McConnell,  John  F.,  Evansville,  Clerk,  transferred  to  Co.  I, 

161st  Ind.,  from  Co.  M,  159th  Ind.,  Dec.  1,  1898. 
Miller,  Reverdy  J.,  Bloomington,  Laborer,  transferred  to  Co. 

I,  161st  Ind.,  from  Co.  H,  159th  Ind.,  Dec.  4,  1898. 
Netzel,  William,  Medaryville,  Laborer. 
Pettit,  William,  Monticello,  Laborer. 
Reynolds,  Elmer  E.,  Monticello,  Farmer. 
Rogers,  Alva  J.,  Monon,  Farmer. 
Rinier,  Edward  L.,  Hopedale,  Farmer. 
Sheets,  Samuel  H.,  Monon,  Farmer. 
Shide,  Frank,  Remington,  Farmer. 
Simons,  Walter  A.,  Monticello,  Student. 
Smith,  Bruce  W.,  Goodland,  Laborer. 
Sorrel,  Perry  H.,  Rensselaer,  Harnessmaker. 
Stanley,  Melvin,  Monon,  Farmer. 
Strebe,  Edward,  Brookston,  Blacksmith. 
Tanguy,  William  E.,  Logansport,  Printer. 
Tharpe,  Walter  C.,  Rensselaer,  Fanner. 
Tharpe,  Wilber,  Rensselaer,  Teacher. 
Th  mpson,  Wilber  L.,  Monon,  Railroader. 
Tice,  Stephen  E.,  Goodland,  Farmer. 
Ward,  James  A.,  Monticello,  Student. 
Whitted,  Elmer,  Francisville,  Painter. 
Wood,  Oliver  H.,  Remington,  Farmer. 
Young,  Harrison,  Roachdale,  Farmer. 

DISCHARGED    BY   ORDER. 

Shaull,   Henry   A.,  private,  Lochiel,   Farmer,  discharged   per 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  315 

Special  Order  No.  6,  War  Department.  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral's Office,  Jan.  6,  1899. 

Rourke,  John  P.,  private,  Monon,  Tailor,  discharged  per 
Special  Order  No.  16,  War  Department,  Adjutant 
General's  Office,  Jan.  18, 1899,  order  dated  Jan.  30, 1899. 

Henry,  Hiram,  private,  Monticello,  Farmer,  discharged  Jan. 
24,  1899,  per  Special  Order  21,  War  Department, 
Adjutant  General's  Office. 

McDaniels,  George  A.,  wagoner,  Battle  Ground,  Farmer,  dis- 
charged per  Special  Order  No.  26,  War  Department, 
Adjutant  General's  Office,  dated  Feb.  1,  1899. 

Newton,  James  B.,  private,  LaFayette,  Laborer,  discharged 
Jan.  30,  1899,  per  Special  Order  dated  Feb.  4,  1899. 

Brooks,  Edward  E,  private,  Logansport,  Laborer,  discharged, 
per  Special  Order  29,  War  Department,  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral's Office,  Feb.  4,  1899. 

TRANSFERRED. 

Scott,  Franklin  G.,  Goodland,  Carpenter,  transferred  to 
United  States  Volunteer  Hospital  Corps,  per  Special 
Order  No.  10,  dated  August  20,  1898. 

Dexter,  Jacob  W.,  Goodland,  Carpenter,  transferred  to  United 
States  Volunteer  Hospital  Corps,  per  Special  Order 
No.  10,  dated  August  20,  1898. 

Tharpe,  Walter  A.,  musician,  Remington,  Teacher,  trans- 
ferred to  United  Stages  Voluntser  Signal  Corps  Dec. 
10,  per  Special  Order  282,  Adjutant  General's  Office, 
dated  Nov.  30,  1898. 

Engle,  Walter  M.,  Francisville,  Electrician,  transferred  to 
United  States  Volunteer  Signal  Corps  Dec.  31,  1898, 
per  Special  Order  291,  Adjutant  General's  Office,  dated 
Dec.  10,  1898. 

DIED    OF    DISEASE. 

Kuns,  Clarence  D.,  Brookston,  Barber,  died  Sept.  24,  at  Third 
Division  Hospital  o  typhoid  fever,  Camp  Cuba  Libre, 
Fla. 


3l6  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Stivers.  Wallace  D.,  Corp.,  Rensselaer,  Farmer,  died  at  Third 
Division  Hospital,  of  typhoid  fever,  Camp  Cuba  Libre, 
Fla.,  Oct.  14,  1898. 

Kepperling,  George,  Chalmers,  Farmer,  died  Oct.  28,  at  Chal- 
mers, Ind.,  while  on  furlough. 

Weaver,  William  G.,  Monticello,  Farmer,  died  in  Second 
Division  Hospital,  Camp  Onward,  Ga.,  Nov.  7,  1898, 
of  stomach  trouble. 

Turner,  Joseph  F.,  San  Pierre,  Blacksmith,  died  in  Division 
Hospital,  Camp  Onward,  Ga.,  Nov.  80,  1898,  of  pneu- 
monia. 


COMPANY   F. 


PAUL  COMSTOCK. 

Captain  Paul  Comstock  is  the  son  of  Judge  D.  W. 
Comstock,  of  the  Appellate  Bench  of  Indiana.  He  was 
born  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  in  the  year  1873.  After  his 
early  training  he  spent  one  year  in  the  Oxford  Military 
Naval  Academy,  at  the  close  of  which  he  entered  the  Rich- 
mond high  school,  graduating  in  1891;  his  education  was 
then  finished  in  the  Earlham  College  and  the  Ohio  Wes- 
leyan  University.  Mr.  Comstock  was  then  tendered  a  posi- 
tion in  the  general  superintendent's  office  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  Company  at  Columbus, and  later  inthe  engin- 
eering department  at  Indianapolis,  in  which  position  he  con- 
tinued until  April,  1898,  when  he  was  appointed  claim 
agent  for  the  same  road,  in  which  service  he  was  engaged 
when  he  enlisted  -for  the  war.  Mr.  Comstock  was  elected 
first  lieutenant  of  his  company  and  was  for  several  months 
adjutant  of  the  Second  Battalion  and  upon  the  resignation 
of  Captain  Smith  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  captain, 
April  i,  1899. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


CAPTAIN  PAUL  COMSTOCK. 


ELMER  E.  KIMMEL. 

Second  Lieutenant  Elmer  E.  Kimmel,  "Old  Kim, "as 
he  was  familiarly  known,  is  the  son  of  Charles  F.  and  Cath- 
erine S.  Kimmel,  sturdy  German  stock.  The  father,  a  vet' 
eran  of  the  Civil  war,  following  the  desires  of  his  heart  to 
give  his  first  son  a  good  name,  remembered  an  illustrious 
officer  who  was  among  the  first  to  give  up  his  life  for  the 
union,  Colonel  E.  Elmer  Ellsworth,  and  called  the  son,. 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


born  to  him,  August  3,  1874,  Elmer  Ellsworth  Kimmel. 
Educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city,  Dayton, 
Ohio,  at  the  early  age  of  thirteen,  he  began  the  struggle  of 
life.  The  start  was  made  as  a  cash  boy  at  one  dollar  and 
a  half  per  week,  but  not  having  a  liking  for  mercantile 


SECOND  LIEUTENANT  ELMER  E.   KIMMEL. 

business  finally  drifted  into  book  binding,  at  which  trade  he 
served  a  full  apprenticeship.  While  following  this  trade  he 
drifted  into  Richmond,  Indiana,  in  June,  1894,  adopting 
Hoosierdom  as  his  chosen  home;  while  here  the  desire  came 
for  a  more  complete  education  and  having  a  favorable  op- 
portunity of  working  his  way  through  Earlham,  a  Quaker 
college,  he  spent  two  years  at  that  institution,  from  which 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


place  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  the  Richmond  company 
and  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant,  which  office  he 
filled  until  the  resignation  of  Captain  Will  M.  Smith,  when 
promoted  to  the  first  lieutenancy.  It  is  the  intention  of 
Lieutenant  Kimmel  to  enter  Ann  Arbor  University,  taking 
up  medicine  as  a  special  study. 


WILLIAM  H.    DRAPIER. 

Second  Lieutenant  Drapier's  life  has  been  spent  in  the 
city  of  Indianapolis,  in  which  place   he  was  born  in  1869, 


SECOND  LIEUTENANT  WILLIAM  H.   DRAPIER. 


32O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

and  in  the  public  schools  of  which  he  received  his  educa- 
tion, graduating  from  the  high  school  in  1887.  After  grad- 
uation Mr.  Drapier  embarked  in  the  insurance  business  and 
there  continued  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Spanish-Amer- 
ican war.  He  enlisted  with  Company  F  as  a  private  and 
was  rapidly  advanced  through  the  line  of  promotion  to  the 
position  of  second  lieutenant  of  the  company.  Mr.  Drap- 
ier's  promotion  was  due  to  his  efficient  and  excellent  mili- 
tary training,  having  served  several  years  in  various  capaci- 
ties in  the  Indiana  National  Guard. 


HISTORY   OF    COMPANY   F. 

Richmond,  the  "  Quaker  City,"  is  generally  quiet,  but 
when  the  news  came  of  the  blowing  up  of  the  Maine  it 
woke  up.  Several  enterprising  young  men,  about  four  or 
five,  who  desired  a  captain's  commission  started  a  com- 
pany, but  as  the  city  did  not  have  a  military  company,  she 
must  wait  for  the  second  call  before  being  represented  in 
the  army  of  the  United  States.  Interest  waned  until  the 
company  organized  by  Will  M.  Smith  was  alone  in  the 
field.  This  company  was  at  first  intended  to  be  an  artillery 
company,  and  besides  drilling  in  infantry  drill  quite  a  num- 
ber of  the  men  purchased  old  French  bayonets,  almost  two 
feet  long,  and  practiced  the  saber  drill.  We  had  free  access 
to  a  large  hall,  and  the  gas  company,  with  true  patriotism, 
furnished  the  light  gratis.  The  compan)'  met  two  nights 
each  week,  and  after  drilling  a  short  time  in  the  hall  would 
drill  around  the  court  house  square.  In  the  meanwhile 
another  company  was  organized,  and  for  a  time  there  was 
intense  rivalry  as  to  which  company  would  be  called  upon 
after  the  second  call  came  and  it  was  known  that  Wayne 
county  would  have  one  company  in  the  state  quota. 


21 


322  HISTORY    OF    THE 

During  the  latter  part  of  June  it  was  daily  expected 
that  the  call  would  come  from  the  governor  to  come  to 
Indianapolis.  The  signal  agreed  upon  was  for  the  large 


CAPTAIN  WILL  M.   SMITH. 

manufacturing  concerns  to  blow  their  whistles.  Friday, 
June  24,  the  governor  telegraphed  who  was  to  be  the 
examining  surgeon — Dr.  Weist,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war, 
and  at  4  P.  M.  the  whistles  gave  the  discordant  alarm  and 
the  boys  left  their  work  benches,  dropping  their  tools  and 
hastened  to  the  room  in  the  Westcott  hotel,  where  the 
news  was  read  to  them,  telling  them  to  be  in  readiness. 
Saturday  and  Sunday  was  spent  in  medical  examinations, 
and  Monday  we  expected  to  go  to  the  state  capitol;  instead 
we  were  ordered  to  await  further  orders.  Something  must 
be  done,  as  many  had  come  in  from  the  country  and  neigh- 
boring cities,  expecting  to  leave  Monday,  and  others  having 
left  their  work  would  become  impatient.  Glen  Mills,  a 
natural  park  situated  on  the  eastern  side  of  Richmond,  was 
decided  would  be  a  good  place  for  a  temporary  camp,  and 


en 
w 


O 
o 


X 

*Tl 


324  HISTORY    OF    THE 

procuring  permission  from  the  city  to  use  it  we  went  into 
camp  Monday  afternoon  of  the  24th  of  June.  The  dancing 
pavilion  was  used  for  sleeping  and  eating  quarters.  The 
first  thing  done  was,  each  man  carried  an  arm  load  of  hay 
to  sleep  on,  it  being  our  first  experience  of  the  kind.  The 
good  people  of  Richmond  subscribed  liberally  to  procure 
food,  and  we  did  live  in  those  days.  We  had  guard  mount 
every  day,  besides  about  four  hours'  drill  every  afternoon. 
We  had  free  use  of  the  boats  on  the  lake,  and  were  allowed 
the  especial  privilege  of  bathing  in  the  lake.  Great  crowds 
came  to  see  us  drill,  and  here  we  lived  and  in  each  one's 
memory  there  will  ever  live  the  jolly  times  of  those  fond 
days  at  Camp  Ostrander,  our  first  camp.  Friday  we 
marched  through  the  city  to  the  depot,  where  we  bid  our 
relatives  and  friends  a  sad  farewell,  for  little  did  we  know 
whether  we  would  ever  meet  again  or  not,  and  three  of 
our  number  returned  not. 

At  10:40  Friday,  July  i,  we  left  for  Camp  Mount, 
being  the  fourth  company  to  report  for  duty;  from  here  our 
history  became  a  part  of  the  regimental  history. 


COMPANY  F  ROSTER. 

WILL  M.  SMITH,  Captain — Resigned  March  31,  1899  ;  Greens- 
burg,  Ind.,  Electrical  Engineer. 

PAUL  COMSTOCK,  Captain — Promoted  from  1st  Lieutenant. 
April  1,  1899;  Richmond,  Ind.,  Claim  Agent. 

ELMER  E.  KIMMEL,  1st  Lieutenant — Promoted  from  2d  Lieu- 
tenant April  1,  1899;  Richmond,  Ind.,  Student. 

WILLIAM  H.  DRAPIER,  JR.,  2d  Lieutenant — Promoted  from 
Sergeant,  April  1,  1899;  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Broker. 

SERGEANTS. 

Martin,  William,  1st  Serg't,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Laborer,  dis- 
charged Feb.  18,  1899. 


o 

o 


O 
o 


326  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Moss,  Abraham  T.,  Eaton,  Ohio,  Machinist,  discharged 
March  3,  1899. 

Tawer,  Oscar  P.,  Jr.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Action  Finisher,  ap- 
pointed Q.  M.  Serg't  Jan.  17,  1899. 

Edwards,  Leroy,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Drayman. 

Weissgerber,  John  C.,  New  Castle,  Ind.,  Salesman,  dis- 
charged Jan.  16,  1899. 

Keller,  Frank,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Papermaker,  appointed  Cor- 
poral July  12,  1898 ;  appointed  Sergeant  March  18, 

1899. 
Tawer,  Paul  O.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Florist,  appointed  Corporal 

July  12,  1898;  appointed  Sergeant  March  13,  1899. 
Sheppard,  Henry  W.,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Florist,  appointed  Cor- 
poral  July    12,    1898 ;   appointed    Sergeant   March   13, 
1899. 

CORPORALS. 

Bader,  Charles  O.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Student. 

Kuhlman,  Charles  O.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Plumber. 

Petry,  Harvey  C.,  Fountain  City,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Arnett,  Willis  W.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Steele,   John   J.,   Richmond,   Ind.,  Printer,  appointed   Corp. 

Aug.  20,  1898. 
Handley,  Albert  E.,  College  Corner,  Ohio,  Painter,  appointed 

Corp.  Aug.  20,  1898. 
Addleman,   John   F.,    Whitewater,    Ind.,  Laborer,  appointed 

Corp.  Sept.  1,  1898. 
Weissgerber,  Frank  H.,  New  Castle,  Ind.,  Florist,  appointed 

Corp.  Oct.  18,  1898. 

Bode,  Frederick,  appointed  Corp.  March  13,  1898. 
Stratton,  Roy  O. 

MUSICIANS. 

Foard,  William  G.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Muye,  George,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Machinist. 

WAGONER. 

Hennigar,  Gilbert  S..  Richmond,  Ind.,  Blacksmith,  appointed 
Wagoner  Jan.  18,  1899. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  327 

ARTIFICER. 

Hennigar,  Harry,  Richmond,  Ind.,  discharged  March  11,  1899. 

COOK. 

Higgs,  George,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Carpenter. 

PRIVATES. 

Addleman,  Samuel  C.,  White  Water,  Ind.,  Butcher. 

Allen,  Roy  M.,  Liberty,  Ind.,  Painter. 

Allinder,  William,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Machinist. 

Bader,  Robert  S.,  Richmond,  Ind. 

Brown,  Denver,  W.  Manchester,  Ohio,  Farmer,  died  in  Jack- 
sonville, Fla.,  Oct.  23, 1898. 

Bucy,  Charles  E.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Polisher. 

Caseley,  John  E.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Machinist,  discharged  Feb. 
23,  1899. 

Cassel,  Walter  H.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Machinist. 

Clark,  John  W.,  Machinist. 

Connaughton,rjohn  F. ,  Machinist,  discharged  March  1,  1899. 

Cook,  Harry  P.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Cook,  Joseph  R.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Operator. 

Decker,  Berttie  E.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Painter. 

DeVerse,  Joseph  E.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Papermaker,  deserted 
Sept.  20,  discharged  without  honors  Nov.  8,  1898. 

Dickerson,  Benjamin  F.,  Clymers,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Dickey,  Marshall  D.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Painter. 

Duke,  James  F.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Duke,  William  H.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Edwards,  John,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Painter. 

Elliott,  Worley  F.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Estep,  William  C.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Moulder. 

Francis,  John  S.,  Metamora,  Franklin  Co.,  Ind.,  Printer. 

Fudge,  Rufus,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Printer. 

Fossenkemper,  Charles  O.,  Glen  Park,  Richmond,  Ind.,  La- 
borer. 

Francis,  George  B.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Carpenter. 

Granger,  Herman  E.,  DeMotte,   Jasper  Co.,  Ind.,  Carpenter. 


328  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Graham,  Stephen  R.,  Litchfield,  Ky.,  Farmer. 

Grice,  Alonzo  N.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Printer. 

Haley,  Jerry,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Lather. 

Harmeyer,  Harry,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Hassard,  Richard  B.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Polisher. 

Henderson,  Robert  J.,  Lynn,  Ind.,  Barber. 

Hamilton,  John,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  discharged  Feb.  7,  1899. 

Hieger,  William    E.,    Richmond,   Ind.,  Machinist,  discharged 

Dec.  31,  1898. 

Hites,  John  H.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Painter. 
Hoar,  John,   Centerville,   Ind.,    Farmer,   transferred  to  Band 

Aug.  23,  1898. 

Hollopeter,  John,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Gr.  Clefk. 
Hollowell,  Charles  A.,  Danville,  111.,  Actor. 
Holtcamp,  Charlie,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Boilermaker. 
Horr,  Argus  O.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Machinist. 
Hurst,  Addison  C.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Messenger. 
Jarrett,  Lilleton  B.,  Cox  Mills.  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Judy,  Lista  B.,  Laborer. 
Kain,  Harry  F.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Laborer,  died  in  Richmond, 

Indiana. 

Kelly,  Harry  E.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Smith. 
Lanius,  Charles  W.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Painter. 
Loftus,  Michael,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Coremaker. 
Lovin,  George  E.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Weaver,  discharged  Feb. 

24,  1899. 

Morgan,  Charles  E.,  Buena  Vista,  Colo.,  Miner. 
Mull,  Albert,  Carpenter. 
Murray,  Alden,  Metamora,  Ind.,  Printer. 
Nolan,  William,   Richmond,    Ind.,    Laborer,  discharged   Feb. 

20,  1899. 

Nye,  Edward  L.,  Prestonville,  Ky.,  Clerk. 
Pyle,  John  B.  U.,  Mount  Carmel,  Ind.,  Saddler. 
Reese,  William,   Hammond,  Ind.,  Farmer,    discharged   Sept. 

28,  1898. 

Reckers,  Henry  J.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Rusche,  Frank,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Carriage  Trimmer 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  329 

Ryder,  Harry,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Machinist. 

Stanley,  Franklin  B.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Gr.  Clerk. 

Snyder,  William,  Columbus,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Sanders,  John  H.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Simpson,  Walter,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Clerk. 

Stegall,  Everett  E.,  Williamsburg,  Ind.,  Blacksmith 

Thomas,  Harry  J.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Teamster. 

Thomas,  Ira  L.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Machinist. 

Thompson,  Joseph  H.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Toler,  George  C.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Plumber. 

Trakowski,  Fred  W.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Baker. 

Trimble,   Charles    F. ,    Richmond,    Ind.,    Machinist,    died    at 

Camp  Columbia,  Cuba,  Jan.  17,  1899. 
Triplett,  Harry  N.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Vanzant,  Charles  E.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Weaver,  Samuel  J.,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Teamster. 
Woesner,  William,  Metamora,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Wright,  Silvester  E.,  Lynn,  Ind.,  School  Teacher,  transferred 

to  Regimental  Band,  Aug.  23,  1898. 
Yedding,  Ferdinand,  Richmond,  Ind.,  Painter. 
Zurwelle,  George  R.,  Cox  Mills,  Ind..  Laborer. 
Zurwelle,  William  S.,  Cox  Mills,  Ind.,  Gardener. 

RECRUITED    SINCE    DAY    OF    MUSTER. 

Burgan,  Burton  E.,  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Teamster,  transferred 

from  159th  I.  V.  I.,  Nov.  28,  1898. 
'Cline,   Walter,   Columbus,   Ind.,   R.    R.    Fireman,  appointed 

Corp.  March  18,  1899. 
-Hill,  John,  Green  Castle,  Ind.,  Laborer,  transferred   from  the 

159th  I.  V.  L,  Nov.  23,  1898. 
Lucas.  Charles,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Masseuer,  transferred  from 

159th  I.  V.  L,  Nov.  25,  1898. 
Levy,  Carl,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Moulder. 
Metlin,  Earl,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Bookkeeper,  transferred  from 

159th  I.  V.  L,  Nov.  28,  1898. 
Maxwell,  Clifford  C.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
McCoy,  Earl,  Lawrence,  Ind.,  Tile  Moulder,  appointed  Corp. 


33O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

March  13,  1899,  transferred  from  159th  I.  V.  I.,  Nov. 
23,  1898. 

Shearer,  Chester  A.,  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Laundryman,  trans- 
ferred from  159th  I.  V.  I. 

Secrist,  Leo,  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Tinner,  transferred  from 
159th  I.  V.  L,  Nov.  23,  1898. 

Singler,  George,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Baker,  transferred  from 
159th  I.  V.  I.,  Nov.  28,  1898. 


COMPANY  D. 


RICHARD  W.   BUCHANAN. 

Captain  Richard  W.  Buchanan  was  one  of  the  young- 
est officers  of  the  regiment  and  was  the  youngest  captain 
of  the  United  States  army  in  the  recent  Spanish  war,  born 
in  Carrollton,  Kentucky,  June  28,  1879.  His  family  moved 
to  Madison,  Indiana,  when  he  was  yet  a  child,  where  he 
was  -reared  and  where  he  received  his  early  education, 
graduating  from  the  Madison  high  school  in  1896.  At 
the  close  of  his  studies  he  became  the  city  editor  of 
the  Madison  Daily  Democrat  and  afterwards  associate 
editor  of  the  Madison  Daily  Herald.  He  also  cor- 
responded for  several  metropolitan  dailies  and  became 
well-known  in  newspaper  circles.  He  so  materially 
aided  through  his  newspaper  capacity  in  the  organization 
of  the  Madison  company  that  upon  its  acceptance  he  was 
elected  to  the  position  of  second  lieutenant.  During  the 
first  days  of  camp  life  he  acted  as  correspondent  for  the 
Indianapolis  Journal,  but  finding  it  conflicting  with  his  mili- 
tary duties  he  gave  it  up.  Upon  the  resignation  of  Captain 
Cosby  he  was  commisioned  on  the  8th  of  March  as  cap- 
tain of  his  company. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


331 


CAPTAIN  RICHARD  W.  BUCHANAN. 


CYRUS  A.   JACKSON. 

Prior  10  hostilities  with  Spain,  Cyrus  A.  Jackson  was 
the  genial  and  obliging  city  superintendent  of  the  Metro- 
politan Life  Insurance  Company,  at  Madison,  Indiana.  Mr. 
Jackson  was  elected  first  lieutenant  of  Company  D,  at  the 
organization  of  that  company.  He  assisted  Chief  McCul- 
lagh  in  the  organization  of  the  Metropolitan  police  force 
of  the  city  of  Havana,  and  distinguished  himself  by  the 
capture  of  a  burglar  and  desperado.  Lieutenant  Jackson 


332 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


FIRST  LIEUTENANT  CYRUS  A.   JACKSON. 

was  born  at  Vincennes,  Indiana,  in  1865,  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  city,  and  has  spent  the  greater 
portion  of  his  life  in  the  far  West. 


LAYTON   M.    PARKHURST. 

Second  Lieutenant  Layton  M.  Parkhurst  entered  Com- 
pany D  as  a  private,  and  was  rapidly  advanced  through 
the  line  of  promotion  to  first  sergeant  and  was  appointed 
second  lieutenant  of  his  company  March  11,  1899.  Mr. 
Parkhurst  was  born  at  Franklin,  Indiana,  October  14,  1876. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


333 


His  parents  dying  when  he    was  quite  young,  he  made   his 
home  with  his  uncle  at   Lebanon,  Indiana.      After  finishing 


SECOND  LIEUTENANT  LAYTON  M.   PARKHURST. 

the  course  of  the  schools  of  Lebanon  Mr.  Parkhurst 
engaged  in  the  drug  business  at  Lebanon  until  the  outbreak 
of  the  war. 


HISTORY  OF  COMPANY  D. 

Company  D,  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indi- 
ana, reported  at  Camp  Mount  for  examination  and  muster 
in,  on  the  ist  of  July,  1898.  But  it  must  not  be  inferred 
that  the  Madison  public  nor  the  individual  members  of  the 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  335 

company,  were  so  tardy  in  the  offer  of  life  and  service  for 
the  nation  as  the  mustering  date  of  the  regiment  would 
indicate.  Immediately  upon  the  declaration  of  war  a  com- 
pany was  roughly  organized  in  the  "  city  neath  the  hills," 
but  the  claims  of  the  rival  leaders  caused  its  partial  dis- 
ruption, a  considerable  number  of  the  organizations  combin- 
ing with  a  similar  faction  from  Roachdale  to  form  a  com- 
pany in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-ninth.  Upon  the 
second  call  of  the  president  for  volunteers  the  disorganized 
and  disheartened  members  came  together,  under  the  lead- 
ership of  Captain  Charles  E.  Cosby,  and  through  the  force 


CAPTAIN  CHARLES  E.  COSBY. 

and  persistency  of  patriotic  fervor,  secured  from  Governor 
Mount  the  approval  which  made  their  calling  and  election 
sure.  The  company  moved  to  Indianapolis  more  than  one 


c 
U 


W: 
en. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  337 

hundred  strong.  Not  to  be  selfish,  contingents  were 
admitted  to  its  ranks  from  Seymour,  North  Vernon  and 
Bedford.  Through  the  ordeal  of  examination,  a  high  stand- 
ard of  physique  and  intelligence  was  maintained  in  the 
leadership  of  the  body.  Captain  Cosby  was  sustained  by 
Lieutenants  Cyrus  A.  Jackson  and  Richard  W.  Buchanan. 
It  fell  to  the  lot  of  Company  D  to  be  quartered  in  one 
of  the  horse  barns  at  the  fair  grounds;  to  the  use  of  the 
commissioned  officers  was  assigned  the  apartments  once 
occupied  by  Star  Pointer;  the  appointments,  however,  were 
too  commodious  for  soldiers,  so  much  so,  that  the  boys 
were  glad  to  be  transferred  to  the  canvas  camp. 

The  thousand  and  one  laughable  incidents  which 
marked  the  apprentice  period  of  Company  D,  in  common 
with  other  companies,  lose  their  point  in  telling.  Out  of 
the  confusion  of  this  period,  organization  and  soldierly  dis- 
cipline were  gradually  attained.  At  Jacksonville,  the  com- 
pany suffered  considerably  from  the  climate;  uncertainty 
to  the  future,  dread  lest  it  might  be  their  lot  to  go  home 
without  having  seen  service,  lowered  the  spirits  of  the  men. 
In  camp  at  Savannah,  the  town  was  more  cheerful,  the 
prospect  was  definite.  No  man  in  the  company  will  ever 
cease  to  prize  his  experience  in  setting  foot  on  Cuban  soil, 
and  no  man  in  the  company  can  fail  to  be  thankful  that  old 
"  D"  had  not  quite  entered  San  Lazarus  street  in  the  city 
of  Havana  at  the  supreme  moment  when  our  flag  went  up 
over  Morro  Castle,  for  each  man  was  thus  permitted  to 
witness  the  transfer  of  empire.  Reviewing  all  its  experiences 
while  on  the  island,  Company  D  feels  that  it  was  very 
fortunate,  favored  in  health,  in  pleasant  camp  site  and  in 
privileges  to  see  and  enjoy.  Soon  after  the  promotion  of 
Lieutenant  Richard  \V.  Buchanan  to  captaincy,  Company 

D  became  the  color  company  and  guide  of  the  regiment. 
22 


o 
u 


OS 

o 
U 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  339 


COMPANY    D  ROSTER. 

CHARLES  E.  COSBY,  Captain — Resignation   tendered  Feb.  8, 

1899,  accepted  Feb.  25,  1899. 
RICHARD  W.  BUCHANAN,  Captain — Promoted  from  2d  Lieut. 

March  9,  1899. 

CYRUS  A.  JACKSON.  1st  Lieutenant. 
LAYTON  W.  PARKHURST,  2d  Lieutenant — Promoted  from  1st 

Serg't  March  10,  1899. 

SERGEANTS. 

Ferguson,  W.  Scott,  1st  Serg't,  Canaan,  Ind.,  Engineer,  ap- 
pointed 1st  Serg't  March  15,  1899. 

Taylor,  John  S.,  Q.  M.  Serg't,  Hanover,  Ind.,  Farmer,  mus- 
tered as  Q.  M.  Serg't. 

Huckleberry,  Silas  D.,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Student,  mus- 
tered as  Serg't. 

Carter,  Everett,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Clerk,  mustered  as  Serg't. 

Griffith,  Ulysses  J.,  Vevay,  Ind.,  Law  Student,  promoted  to 
Corp  Sept.  11,  1898,  promoted  to  Serg't  Dec.  9,  1898. 

Stoner,  Henry,  Brightwood,  Ind.,  Bookkeeper,  promoted  to 
Corp.  Aug.  20,  1898,  promoted  to  Serg't  March  15, 
1899. 

CORPORALS. 

Jeffries,  John,  Madison,  Ind.,  Miller,  mustered  as  Corp. 

Rayborn,  William  E.,  Canaan,  Ind.,  Farmer,  mustered  as 
Corp. 

Vawter,  Charles  D.,  Madison,  Ind.,  Traveling  Salesman,  pro- 
moted to  Corp.  Aug.  20,  1898. 

Oliver,  Samuel,  Madison,  Ind.,  Laborer,  promoted  to  Corp. 
Aug.  20,  1898. 

Sayers,  Robert  M.,  Madison,  Ind.,  Stenographer,  mustered  as 
Corp. 

Wheeler,  Cale  K.,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Patternmaker,  transferred 
to  Co.  D  from  Co.  E,  159th  Ind.,  Nov.  23,  1898,  pro- 
moted to  Corp.  Dec.  9,  1898. 


34O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Burroughs,  Elmer,  Mt.    Sterling,   Ind.,  Farmer,    promoted   to 

Corp.  Dec.  9,  1898. 
Miles,  Gus  E.,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Carpenter,  promoted  to 

Corp.  March  15,  1899. 
Thorpe,  Charles  A.,  Cartersburg,  Ind.,  Laborer,  promoted  to 

Corp.    March  15,  1899. 
Neal,    DeCourcy,    Brooksburg,    Ind.,    Farmer,    promoted    to 

Corp.  March  15,  1899. 
Herring,  William,  Pleasant,  Ind.,  Farmer,  promoted  to  Corp. 

March  15,  1899. 

MUSICIANS. 

Harper,  John  E.,  Pleasant,  Ind.,  Farmer,  mustered  as  Musi- 
cian. 

Brownscombe,  Chas.  W.,  Bedford,  Ir.d.,  Paper  Hanger, 
transferred  to  Co.  D,  161st  Ind.,  from  Co.  H,  159th 
Ind.,  Nov.  23,  1898,  appointed  Musician  Dec  7,  1898. 

ARTIFICER. 

Loyd,  Joseph  W.,  Versailles,  Ind.,  Carpenter,  mustered  as 
Artificer. 

WAGONER. 

Riedel,  Ronald  H.,  Zion,  Ind.,  Farmer,  mustered  as  Wagoner, 

COOK. 

Ivor,  Charles  N.,  Canaan,  Ind.,  Cook,  mustered  as  Cook  Dec. 
2,1898. 

PRIVATES. 

Abbott,  Harrison,  Madison,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Adams,  George  W. ,  Guthrie,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Arnold,  Edward,  Vernon,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Ballard,  Martin,  Madison,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Bassett,  Robert  S.,  Versailles,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Blue,  Arther,  Seymour,  Ind..  Tailor. 
Bucy,  Leander,  Brightwood,  Ind.,  Railroader. 
Casey,  Ashby,  Madison,  Ind.,  Cook. 
Chambers,  Clarence  B.,  Kent,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Clarkson,  Andrew  J.,  Madison.  Ind.,  Laborer. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  341 

Coryell,  Charles,  Hayden,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Grain,  Gilbert   D.,    Evansville,   Ind.,  Student,  transferred    to 

Co.   D,  161st  Ind.,  from   Co.  E,  159th   Ind.,  Nov.  23, 

1898. 

Davis,  Chester,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Student. 
Dowlen,  Henry,  Bedford,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Dugan,  William  M.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Tool  Grinder. 
Evans,  Harry  O.,   North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Laborer,  transferred 

to  Co.   D,  161st  Ind.,  from   Co.    G,  159th   Ind.,  Nov. 

23,  1898. 

Foster,  Charles,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
French,  Emanuel,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Frooks,  James,  Madison,  Ind.,  Riverman. 
Gaussin,  Clarence  C.,  Bedford,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Gilligan,  Joseph,  Faulkner,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Griffin,  Harvey,  Canaan,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Grubbs,  Wilkerson  E.,  Madison,  Ind.,  Cabinetmaker. 
Hagan,  Robert  E.,  Canaan,  Ind.,  Salesman. 
Haukins,  James,  Madison,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Hargrove,  Benjaman  R.,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Harper,  Charles  E.,  Pleasant,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Harrison,  Thomas,  Bee  Camp,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Hatcher,  John  H.,  Vincennes,  Ind.,  Cutter,  transferred  to  Co. 

D,  161st  Ind.,  from  Co.  L,  159th   Ind.,  Nov.  23,  1898. 
Henderson,  Arthur,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Henderson,  Charles  C.,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Railroader. 
Hill,  William,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Hoskins,  John  W.,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Clerk,  transferred  to  Co. 

D,  161st  Ind.,  from  Co.  E,  159th  Ind.,  Nov.  23,  1898. 
Hyatt,  William,  Madison,  Ind.,  Steamboating. 
Jackson,  Hiram,  China,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Jenkins,  William  E.,  Madison,  Ind.,  Ship  Carpenter. 
King,  Otto,   North   Vernon,  Ind.,  Laborer,  transferred  to  Co. 

D,  161st  Ind.,  from  Co.  G,  159th   Ind.,  Nov.  23,  1898. 
Lawler,  Roy,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Lostetter,  George,  Madison,  Ind.,  Spoke  Turner. 
Lunger,  Isaac,  Madison,  Ind.,  Laborer. 


342  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Mat  hew,  James,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Matthews,  John  H.,  Manville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Matthews,  Aubrey  E.,  McGregor,   Ind.,  Farmer. 

McGee,  George,  Madison,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Metz,  Fred,  Versailles,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Parsons,  Elmore  O.,  Madison,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Prather,  John  K.,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Egg  Packer. 

Ray,  Wesley  M.,  Bloomington,   Ind.,  Farmer,  transferred   to 

Co.  D,  161st   Ind.,  from  Co.   H,  159th  Ind.,  Nov.  23, 

1898. 

Rea,  Harvey,  Haney's  Corner,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Redman,  Roland  E.,  Bedford,  Ind.,  Baker. 
Reininga,  William   C.,  Ingelfield,    Ind.,   Farmer,    transferred 

to  Co.  D,  161st  Ind.,  from   Co.  E,  159th  Ind.,  Nov.  23, 

1898. 

Ricketts,  Clarence,  Vevay,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Riley,  David,  Reddington,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Robinson,  Riley,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Ruth,  Andy,  Lawrenceville,  111.,  Farmer,    transferred   to  Co. 

D,  161st  Ind,  from   Co.   A,  159th  Ind.,  Nov.  23,  1898. 
Scanlan,  Charles  J.,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Schwab,  Frank,  North  Madison,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Shepherd,  Harry  B.,  Dupont,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Skinner,  William  A.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Spannagel,  Joseph,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Sthiar,  Harry,  Gosport,  Ind.,  Laborer,  transferred   to  Co.  D, 

161st  Ind.,  from  Co.  H,  159th  Ind.,  Nov.  23,  1898. 
St.  John,  Joseph,  Hayden,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Strang,  Morton  O.,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Strickland,  Lafe,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Teamster. 
Teepe,  Ernest  J.,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Student. 
Thompson,  William  E.,  Bedford,  Ind.,  Railroader. 
Vandemore,  Oris,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Vawter,  John  S.,  Mad'son,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Weed,  Charles,  Bedford,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Welch,  Homer  M.,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Whitaker,  Albert  L.,  Wilmore,  Ky.,  Laborer. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  343 

Wilson,  Charles  S.,  Madison,  Ind.,  Broommaker. 

Whitaker,  James  K.,  Cloverdale,  Ind.,   Cutter,  transferred  to 

Co.  D,  161st   Ind.,   from   Co.  H,  159th   Ind.,  Nov.  23, 

1898. 
Wray,  Millard,  Clear  Spring,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

DISCHARGED. 

Gilbert,  William  B.,  Priv.,  Madison,  Ind.,  Weaver,  Aug.  21, 

1898. 
Euler,  Nelson  C.  B.,  Priv.,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Painter,  Sept. 

13,  1898. 

Groub,  John  C.,  Corp.,  Seymour,  Ind.,  Clerk,  Sept.  19,  1898. 
Barnes,  Walter,  Priv.,  Anderson,  Ind.,  Tinsmith,  Jan.  3,1899. 
Boeglin,  Louis,  Corp.,  Bryantsburg,  Ind.,  Farmer,  Jan.  12, 

1899. 
Lostetter,  Rudolph,  Priv.,  Madison,  Ind.,  Spoke  Grader,  Jan. 

iO,  1899. 

Ferris,  William,  Corp.,  Lancaster,  Ind.,  Miller,  Jan.  81,  1899. 
Hufford,  Raymond  H.,  Corp.,  Cartersburg,  Ind.,  Farmer, 

March  15,  1899. 
Jackson,    Mathew,    Priv.,    Seymour,    Ind.,    Clerk,    March  7, 

1899. 

Hawkins,  John  S.,  Priv.,  Ghent,  Ky.,  Clerk,  March  7,  1899. 
My  res,  William,  Priv.,  Madison,  Ind.,  Laborer,  March  21, 

1899. 

DEATHS. 

Sebree,  John  A.,  Priv.,  Ghent,  Ky.,  Laborer,  Oct.  14,  1898. 
Green,  Frank  M.,  Priv.,  North  Vernon,  Ind.,  Steelworker, 

Nov.  3,  1898. 
Graham,  Alonzo  N.,  Priv.,  Lancaster,  Ind.,  Farmer,  Jan.  24, 

1899. 

TRANSFERRED. 

Logan,  Michael   M.,   Corp.,  Bryantsburg,    Ind.,  Iron  Roller, 

Aug.  20,  1898,  Hospital  Corps. 
Renfroe,  Marcus   D.,  Corp.,  Canaan,  Ind.,  Farmer,  Aug.  20, 

1898,  Hospital  Corps. 


344  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Dale,  Wesley,  Priv.,  Njorth   Vernon,  Ind.,  Farmer,   Aug.  20, 

1898,  Hospital  Corps. 
White,    Harry    K.,    1st.    Serg't,    Dalton,    X.    Y.,    Traveling 

Salesman,  Sept.  8,  1898,  U.  S.  Vol.  Signal  Corps. 


THIRD  BATTALION 


MAJOR  LEE  M.   OLDS. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  347 

LEE  M.   OLDS. 

Major  Lee  M.  Olds,  one  of  the  youngest  majors  in  the 
volunteer  service,  is  the  son  of  Judge  Olds,  of  Chicago,  a 
former  chief  justice  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  state  of 
Indiana,  and  who  was  a  Union  soldier  in  the  Civil  war. 
Major  Olds  boasts  a  remarkable  ancestry  of  volunteer 
soldiers  who  did  good  service  in  the  colonial  wars,  in  the 
war  of  Revolution  and  of  1812,  as  well  as  the  late  rebellion. 

He  was  born  at  Columbia  City,  Indiana,  October 
21,  1874.  He  spent  a  few  years  at  Wabash  College,  and 
then  entered  the  Michigan  Military  Academy  at  Orchard 
Lake,  from  which  institution  he  graduated  in  1893.  Im- 
mediately upon  graduation  he  entered  the  Northwestern 
University,  where  he  took  a  course  in  the  classics,  and 
later  a  thorough  course  in  the  law  department  of  that 
university.  He  was  president  of  the  Chicago  Law  Students' 
Association,  an  organization  of  twenty-four  hundred  students 
of  all  law  schools  of  the  city.  After  completing  his  studies 
he  practiced  his  profession  simultaneously  in  Chicago  and 
Hammond  in  the  firm  of  Olds  &  Griffin,  of  which  his  father 
is  senior  partner. 

Major  Olds  entered  the  service  as  captain  of  a  com- 
pany from  Hammond,  and  by  his  military  aptitude  and 
hard  practice  brought  his  men  to  the  enviable  position  of 
Company  A.  On  September  9,  1898,  Colonel  Durbin 
commanding  the  brigade,  Captain  Olds  was  in  command 
for  months  of  the  First  Battalion,  and  upon  the  resignation 
of  Major  Peterson  was  appointed  by  Governor  Mount  to 
the  majorship  of  the  Third  Battalion.  His  commission 
was  presented  by  Colonel  Durbin  at  regimental  parade 
December  i,  1898,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day  the 
young  officer  was  mustered  as  major  by  Major  Longstreet. 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


Major  Olds  is  a  born  soldier  and  commander;  his 
appearance  is  commanding  and  his  voice  military  to  a 
finish.  The  young  officer  has  borne  his  honors  well. 


COMPANY  C. 


THOMAS  J.   HUDGINS. 

Captain  Thomas  J.  Hudgins  was  born  in  Franklin 
county,  Tennessee,  October  22,  1859.  His  parents  moved 
to  Indiana  in  1867.  He  attended  school  at  Morristown 
Seminary,  Morristown,  Indiana;  accepted  a  position  with 
C.,  H.  &  D.  R.  R.  in  1878,  then  to  P.,  C.,  C.  &  St.  L. 
R.  R.  in  1880,  remaining  with  the  Pennsylvania  Company 
until  1884,  then  accepting  a  position  with  Big  Four  Railroad 
at  Indianapolis;  accepted  position  as  general  agent  of  the 
Big  Four  at  Shelbyville,  Indiana,  November  14,  1888,  and 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  Spanish-American  war  organized  a 
company  at  Shelbyville,  Indiana,  and  tried  to  get  the  com- 
pany accepted  for  first  call  for  volunteers.  The  Big  Four 
railroad  granted  Captain  Hudgins  two  years'  leave  of  absence 
and  on  his  return  his  old  position  or  a  better  one  will  be 
given  him.  Captain  Hudgins,  being  the  senior  captain  of  the 
Third  Battalion,  was  in  command  of  the  battalion  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  from  August  14  to  November  30, 
1898.  Captain  Hudgins  was  married  in  1882,  and  has  one 
child,  Leslie  P.  Hudgins. 

The  Captain's  parents  live  at  Morristown,  Indiana, 
and  his  only  brother,  Robert  H.  Hudgins,  Jr.,  was  quarter- 
master sergeant  for  Company  C. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


349 


CAPTAIN  THOMAS  J.  HUDGINS. 


GEORGE  E.  GOODRICH. 

George  E.  Goodrich,  first  lieutenant,  Company  C,  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  was 
born  in  Brandywine  township,  Shelby  county,  Indiana,  at 
the  old  family  homestead.  April  6,  1872.  He  moved  to- 
Shelbyville  with  his  parents  in  1880.  His  forefathers  orig- 
inally came  from  Scotland,  and  knew  the  hardships  of  pio- 
neer days  in  the  states.  His  grandfather,  George  Good- 


350 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


rich,  for  whom  he  was  named,  was  a  veteran  of  the  Mexi- 
can war.  Three  uncles  also  served  in  the  Union  army 
in  the  Civil  war,  one  being  killed  in  the  battle  of  Peach 
Tree  Creek.  The  surviving  two  are  now  residents  of  Shel- 
byville  and  Shelby  county.  On  graduating  from  school, 


FIRST  LIEUTENANT  GEORGE  E.   GOODRICH. 

Lieutenant  Goodrich  assumed  the  management  of  Bless- 
ing's opera  house,  the  only  theater  in  Shelbyville,  but 
resigned  from  the  management  near  the  close  of  his  second 
successful  season,  in  January,  1894,  to  accept  a  position 
on  the  reportorial  staff  of  the  Shelbyville  Daily  Democrat, 
edited  by  the  late  W.  Scott  Ray,  one  of  the  best  known 
Indiana  editors  of  his  day.  The  position  had  been  vacated 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  35! 

by  Edward  A.  Major,  appointed  postmaster  of  Shelbyville 
during  President  Cleveland's  second  tenure  in  office.  Dur- 
ing Lieutenant  Goodrich's  connection  with  the  Democrat 
he  served  three  years  in  the  Indiana  National  Guard  as 
first  sergeant  of  Company  K,  Second  Regiment,  commanded 
by  Colonel  Ross.  He  continued  with  the  Democrat  until 
the  second  call  for  volunteers  to  serve  in  the  Spanish- 
American  war  was  made  by  President  McKinley,  in  May, 
1898,  when  he  secured  a  leave  of  absence  from  his  duties 
the  follovving  month  to  enlist  in  the  company  then  being 
recruited  at  Shelbyville,  and  departed  with  the  company 
for  Camp  Mount,  July  2.  Having  been  previously  elected 
first  lieutenant  by  the  members  of  the  company,  he  was 
mustered  into  the  service  as  such  on  July  11,  1898,  and 
commissioned  by  Governor  Mount  on  July  20,  1898,  and 
appointed  adjutant  of  the  Third  Battalion  by  a  regimental 
order  a  few  days  later.  Lieutenant  Goodrich  is  a  member 
of  Kiowa  Tribe,  No.  199,  I.  O.  R.  M.,  of  Shelbyville. 


IVY  LESTER  REYNOLDS. 

Second  Lieutenant  Ivy  Lester  Reynolds  was  born  in 
Franklin,  Johnson  county,  Indiana,  September  18,  1876, 
and  in  1881  removed  to  Shelbyville,  Indiana,  with  his 
parents  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Shel- 
byville, at  the  age  of  fourteen  entered  the  employment  of 
the  Shelby  Printing  Company  as  carrier  and  collector,  and 
later  attached  himself  to  C.  Steinhauser,  watchmaker  and 
jeweler,  at  Shelbyville,  to  learn  the  art  of  watchmaking. 
Serving  three  and  a  half  years  there,  he  went  to  Indianap- 
olis to  complete  his  trade  with  Dyer  £  Matsumoto,  manu- 
facturing jewelers,,  and  later  with  Ikko  Matsumoto,  which 
position  he  filled  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  employer, 


352 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


until  in  the  fall  of  1897,  when  he  opened  a  shop  at  No.  49 
Public  Square,  Shelbyville,  and  was  favored  with  much 
success,  closing  up  the  business  to  enlist  with  the  company 
under  Captain  Hudgins. 

Under  direction  of  Captain  Clayton,  Ivy  Lester  Rey- 


SECOND  LIEUTENANT  IVY  LESTER  REYNOLDS. 

nolds  captained  a  company  of  boys  brigade  at  the  Christian 
church  of  Shelbyville,  a  few  years  later  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany K,  of  the  Indiana  National  Guard,  under  Captain  J. 
R.  Clayton,  serving  two  years  of  his  enlistment,  when,  on 
going  to  Indianapolis,  was  transferred  to  Company  A,  Sec- 
ond Regiment  Indiana  National  Guard,  Captain  H.  C. 
Castor,  in  which  company  he  rapidly  received  promotion 
from  the  rank  of  lance-corporal  to  second  lieutenant  in 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  3  $3 

twenty-three  months.  During  the  service  with  Company 
A  he  participated  in  several  prize  drills  at  Indianapolis  at 
the  state  fair  gounds.  Upon  returning  to  Shelbyville,  in 
1897,  he  organized,  drilled  and  uniformed  the  Rex 
Zouaves,  a  company  which  became  very  proficient  in 
fancy  military  drills  and  was  always  a  public  favorite.  He 
also  commanded  Company  C  a  number  of  weeks  at  Jack- 
sonville and  Savannah  during  the  time  when  Captain  Hud- 
gins  commanded  the  Third  Battalion  in  the  absence  of 
Major  M.  R.  Peterson. 

Upon  arriving  in  Cuba  Mr.  Reynolds,  with  St.  C.  A. 
Jackson,  was  called  to  General  Ludlow's  staff  and  assigned 
to  the  police  department  as  military  instructor  and  inspector 
of  police  of  the  city  of  Havana,  they  receiving  many  high 
compliments  as  a  result  of  diligent  work. 


HISTORY  OF  COMPANY  C. 

The  trials,  tribulations  and  vicissitudes  attendant  upon 
the  organization  and  acceptance  of  Company  C  into  the 
service  were  many  and  varied.  To  begin  with,  Captain 
Hudgins,  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  project  then  actively 
engaged  in  the  political  affairs  of  Shelbyville,  was  compelled 
to  meet  the  accusation  of  a  local  newspaper  of  opposite 
political  proclivities  to  the  effect  that  the  project  was  a 
political  intrigue  to  induce  certain  voters  to  accompany  him 
(Captain  Hudgins)  to  some  point  not  yet  decided  upon,  and 
by  keeping  them  out  of  the  city  until  after  election  dayr 
thus  occasion  them  the  loss  of  their  votes.  Nothing  daunted 
by  the  assertion  thus  made,  the  captain  persisted  -in  his 
work  of  recruiting  the  company;  an  interesting  feature  of 
the  final  organization,  being  that  one  of  his  accusers,  then  on 
the  reportorial  staff  of  the  paper  in  question,  was  not  only 

23 


354  HISTORY    OF    THE 

won  over  to  the  captain's  way  of  thinking  but  afterwards 
became  one  of  the  active  supporters  of  the  project  and 
eventually  a  commissioned  officer  in  the  company.  The 
first  meeting  relative  to  the  proposed  organization  was  held 
in  the  city  council  chamber. 

Early  in  April,  1898,  other  meetings  followed,  with 
the  result  that  when  the  first  call  for  volunteers  was  made, 
later  in  the  month,  its  services  were  offered  in  response. 
Not  discouraged  at  its  failure  to  be  accepted,  new  quarters 
were  sought  in  the  armory  of  the  old  militia  company,  in 
the  service  of  the  Indiana  National  Guard,  from  April, 
1894,  to  April,  1897,  and  drills  vigorously  continued.  Not 
until  after  the  second  call  for  volunteers  was  made  by 
direction  of  President  McKinley,  during  the  latter  part  of 
May,  were  the  officers  of  the  company  formally  elected  by 
the  members  of  the  organization,  although  it  was  generally 
understood  who  they  were  to  be.  Renewed  interest  was 
now  taken  in  the  drills,  which  occurred  nightly.  Then 
came  the  crushing  information  that  no  new  regiments 
would  be  mustered  into  the  service,  but  that  the  additional 
volunteers,  designated  in  the  call  for  seventy-five  thousand 
troops,  would  be  used  to  recruit  the  regiments  already  in 
the  field  up  to  the  full  war  strength,  one  hundred  and  six 
enlisted  men.  For  a  time  the  fate  of  the  company  wab- 
bled in  a  balance,  due  to  the  "  desertion  "  of  a  large  num- 
ber of  recruits  of  the  company  to  the  organizations  of  the 
various  branches  of  the  service  then  in  the  field.  This  but 
served  to  strengthen  the  determination  of  those  who  "stuck 
to  the  old  ship."  To  recruit  the  organization  to  its  former 
strength  with  the  result  that  when  another  regiment  became 
an  assured  fact  and  the  preliminary  examination  of  the 
men  was  begun  by  Dr.  J.  W.  Bowlby,  designated  by  the 
governor  to  perform  the  duties,  the  influx  of  recruits  was 
so  great  that  for  a  few  days  it  was  necessary  to  provide 


o 

o 


z 

K; 

O 


HISTORY    OF    THE 

for  their  maintenance  by  going  into  camp  at  the  fair  grounds 
of  the  Shelby  County  Joint  Stock  Agricultural  Association. 
To  this  project  the  citizens  of  Shelbyville  responded  most 
liberally  in  the  donation  of  supplies,  and  a  handsome  cash 
balance  was  given  the  company,  the  net  proceeds  of  a  fes- 
tival and  bazar  given  under  the  supervision  of  about  thirty 
of  Shelbyville's  best  known  young  ladies.  This  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  reception  tendered  the  company  by  the  Epworth 
League  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  Shel- 
byville, in  the  parlors  of  that  edifice.  A  deplorable  acci- 
dent occurred  just  following  the  receipt  of  the  information 
that  the  services  of  the  company  would  be  accepted.  It 
having  been  agreed  upon  that  Strong's  Light  Artillery,  an 
organization  within  the  Sons  of  Veteran's  Encampment,  of 
Shelbyville,  should  be  the  first  to  herald  the  information, 
on  the,,  day  of  its  receipt  they  repaired  to  a  spot  just 
beyond  the  city  limits,  and  while  engaged  in  firing  a  speci- 
fied number  of  volleys  a  premature  discharge  of  their 
piece,  an  old  cannon  used  in  the  Civil  war,  resulted  in  the 
loss  of  an  arm  to  Warren  Haehl  and  a  mutilated  hand  to 
Wilber  Smith,  members  of  the  battery.  The  departure  of 
the  company  for  Camp  Mount,  on  July  2,  was  the  occasion 
of  a  demonstration  witnessed  only  in  times  of  war,  when 
home  ties  are  broken  and  the  pride  of  a  household  takes 
his  departure  from  home  and  friends,  probably  never  to 
return.  The  scene  with  its  attendant  incidents  are  best 
portrayed  in  the  following  clipping  from  the  Shelbyville 
Republican,  of  that  date: 

1 '  The  company  of  which  Thomas  J.  Hudgins  is  captain, 
George  E.  Goodrich,  first  lieutenant,  and  I.  L.  Reynolds, 
second  lieutenant,  finished  its  recruiting  last  evening  and 
this  morning  marched  in  from  the  fair  ground.  Mechanic 
street  was  decorated  from  Vine  to  Harrison  and  as  the 
boys  marched  along  the  people  cheered  them  along.  Harri- 


n 

o 
s 


o 
z 
w 
c 

o 


o 

o 


O 


358  HISTORY    OF    THE 

son  street  to  the  public  square  was  decorated  and  the 
square  and  East  Washington  street  to  the  station  was 
almost  a  mass  of  flags.  As  the  company  neared  the  square 
they  were  met  by  the  colored  boys'  "drum"  corps.  On  the 
south  side  of  the  square  the  company  was  joined  by  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  the  Strong  Light  Artillery 
and  the  Rex  Zouaves,  The  column  being  formed  with  the 
Grand  Army  men  at  the  post  of  honor,  the  Modern  Wood- 
man band  in  the  lead,  the  march  was  taken  up  to  the  sta- 
tion. Washington  street  was  simply  a  mass  of  people,  the 
boys  being  given  an  ovation  they  will  never  forget.  War- 
ren Haehl,  who  lost  his  arm  last  week,  was  propped  in  bed 
and  placed  at  the  window  so  he  could  see  the  procession 
and  as  it  passed  it  cheered  and  cheered  and  cheered.  The 
recognition  brought  tears  to  the  eyes  of  many.  Two  cars 
were  on  the  side  track  in  waiting,  but  the  crush  of  people 
was  so  great  that  it  was  some  minutes  before  the  cars  could 
be  reached.  When  the  doors  were  finally  opened  the 
soldier  boys  filed  in  and  their  friends  after  them.  The 
jam  was  simply  a  crush.  Women  and  strong  men  cried; 
mothers  embraced  their  sons,  sisters  clung  to  their  brothers 
and  sweethearts  made  no  attempt  to  check  their  tears. 
Hundreds  and  hundreds  of  people  crowded  along  the  cars 
to  shake  the  hands  of  the  boys  and  to  give  them  a  word  of 
encouragement  and  advice.  All  this  time  the  band  was 
playing,  the  drums  were  beating  and  the  Sons  of  Veterans 
were  firing  a  salute. 

"  As  the  train  that  was  to  carry  the  boys  away  entered 
the  city,  the  factory  whistles  that  had  been  blowing  a 
perfect  salvo  during  the  morning,  greeted  the  train  with  a 
welcome  blast  that  was  continued  until  the  train  was  out  of 
the  city.  After  the  usual  stop  at  the  station  it  required  but 
a  few  minutes  for  the  train  to  back  down  and  take  on  the 
two  extra  cars.  In  another  minute,  the  air  being  filled 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  359 

with  cheers,  the  waving  of  flags,  handkerchiefs,  the  blasts 
of  the  whistles  and  the  sound  of  musketry  "Shelbyville's 
first  company  in  the  war  against  Spain  started  for  the  front 
— a  brave,  gallant  set  of  boys." 

The  company,  together  with  its  friend,  Hon.  Sidney 
Conger,  arrived  at  Camp  Mount  shortly  after  ten  o'clock, 
having  been  tendered  an  ovation  at  all  the  villages  along 
the  route,  and  were  immediately  quartered  in  barn  H.  In 
the  physical  examination  that  followed  over  one  hundred 
and  twenty  men  met  the  requirements,  a  sufficient  number 
were  retained  to  recruit  the  company  to  its  full  war 
strength,  one  hundred  and  six  enlisted  men;  the  remainder 
were  transferred  to  other  companies  not  having  the  required 
number  of  men.  The  company  was  mustered  into  the 
service  on  the  eveniug  of  July  n,  being  among  the  first 
to  be  thus  administered  the  oath  of  allegiance.  A  few 
days  later  the  company  was  presented  with  a  handsome 
flag  by  a  delegation  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  Ladies 
Relief  Corps,  an  auxiliary  of  Dumont  Post  No.  — ,  G.  A. 
R. ,  of  Shelbyville,  representing  the  citizens  of  that  city. 
The  presentation  speech  was  made  in  the  presence  of  the 
company  by  Mr.  John  Byers,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war, 
and  was  feelingly  responded  to  by  Captain  Hudgins.  The 
corp  itself  gave  to  each  member  of  the  company  a  comb, 
whisk  broom,  towels,  etc.  This  was  followed  a  few  days 
later  by  the  presentation  of  a  copy  of  the  New  Testament 
to  each  of  the  officers  and  men  by  Rev.  L.  A.  Gould,  of 
the  First  Baptist  church,  representing  the  churches  of  Shel- 
byville. The  company's  departure  for  Jacksonville,  Flor- 
ida, on  August  n,  was  made  the  occasion  of  a  monster 
demonstration  in  Shelbyville  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  the 
special  trains  conveying  the  regiment  passed  through  the 
city  via  the  Big  Four  route. 

It  is  safe  to  assert  that  three-fourths  of  the  citizens  of 


360  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Shelbyville,  blocked  the  streets  for  squares  in  all  directions, 
bands  played^  salutes  were  fired  and  other  tokens  of  the 
high  esteem  in  which  the  company  is  held  were  manifest. 
During  the  stay  of  the  regiment  at  Camp  Cuba  Libre, 
Company  C  suffered  considerably  from  the  prevailing 
maladies,  and  many  of  the  sick  men  were  compelled  to 
succumb  and  go  to  the  hospital,  a  great  many  never  to 
rejoin  their  command.  Being  left  behind  at  the  time  of 
the  removal  of  the  regiment  to  Savannah,  Georgia,  they 
were  scattered  in  the  various  hospitals  throughout  the 
country  and  recovering  from  their  illness  were  mustered 
out  of  the  service  after  the  regiment  was  sent  to  Cuba. 
During  the  interval  when  the  sickness  at  Camp  Cuba  Libre 
was  most  marked,  the  relatives  and  friends  of  the  boys 
at  home  forwarded  by  express  a  large  amount  of  palatable 
delicacies  and  nutritious  food  best  suited  for  the  use  of  the 
ailing.  The  removal  of  the  troops  to  Camp  Onward 
marked  a  gradual  improvement  in  the  health  of  the  com- 
pany. This  was  also  true  of  the  period  spent  at  Camp 
Columbia,  Havana,  when  the  general  health  was  excellent. 
During  its  career  in  the  service  not  a  single  death  occurred 
in  Company  C,  and  during  their  entire  stay  in  Cuba,  with 
the  exception  of  four  or  five  days  following  their  arrival,  the 
company  was  on  detached  service  as  a  special  guard  at 
General  Lee's  corps  headquarters,  and  rejoined  the  regi- 
ment on  its  march  to  the  docks  to  embark  on  the  United 
States  transport  "Logan,"  homeward  bound. 


COMPANY    C    ROSTER. 

THOMAS  J.  HUDGINS,  Captain,  Shelbyville,  Ind. 
GEORGE  E.  GOODRICH,  1st  Lieut.,  Shelbyville,  Ind. 
IVY  L.  REYNOLDS,  2d  Lieut.,  Shelbyville,  Ind. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  361 


SERGEANTS. 

• 

Maddox,  Robert  C.,  1st.  Serg't,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Drug  Clerk, 

discharged  Nov.  19,  1898. 
Parkison,  Moses  A.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Cabinetmaker,  promo- 

ted to  1st  Serg't  Nov.  19,  1898. 
Hudgins.    Robt.    H.,    Jr.,  Q_.    M.  Serg't,     Shelbyville,  Ind., 

Telegrapher. 

Hopkins,  John  S.,  Hariford,  Maryland,  Painter. 
Ballard,  Walter  B.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Miles,  Con  L.,  Shelbyville.  Ind.,  Furnisher,  discharged  March 

31,  1899. 
Dickman,  Joseph,   Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Upholsterer,    promoted 

from  Corp.  to  Serg't  Dec.    3,  1898,  discharged  Janu- 

ary 27,  1899. 
Alexander,    Earl,    Indianapolis,    Ind.,     Pressman,    promoted 

Serg't  from  Corp.  Feb.  7,  1899. 
Wilson,   Major,    Shelbyville,    Ind.,     Clerk,   promoted    Serg't 

from  Corp.  April  5,  1899. 

CORPORALS. 

» 

Kuntz,  Mathias,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Harnessmaker. 
Vanarsdall,    Elmer,   Shelbyville,  Ind.,    Farmer,    promoted    to 

Corp.  Jan.  25,  1899. 

Davis,  Edwin  F.,  Workland,  Ind.,  Stationary  Engineer. 
Ray,  John  T.,  Hope,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Matthews,  James  G.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Farmer,  discharged 

Dec.  "22,  1899. 

Vanpelt,  Downey,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Dale,  George  H.,  Jamestown,  Ind.,  School  Teacher,  promoted 

to  corporal.  Feb.  7,  1899. 
Goodrich,   Charles,    Shelbyville,    Ind.,    Painter,    promoted  to 

Corporal  Feb.  12,  1899. 
King,     William     F.,    Shelbyville,    Ind.,    Cabinetmaker,    ap- 

pointed Corporal  October  31,  1898. 
JLaw,  Eugene   E.,   Shelbyville,    Ind.,    Welldriller,    promoted 

to  Corp.  Aug.  1,  1898. 


362  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Leffler,  Fay,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Upfitter,  appointed  Corp.  Dec. 

3,  1898. 
Oaks,  Bert,  Edinburg,  Ind.,  Finisher,  appointed   Corp.  Dec. 

3,  1898. 

Roemerman,  Chris.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Factory  Hand,  pro- 
moted to  Corp.  Aug.  8,  1898,  Jan.  14,  1899. 

Wiles,  Miller,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Varnisher,  promoted  to 
Corp.  April  5,  1899. 

MUSICIANS. 

Michelsen,  William  A.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Barber. 

ARTIFICER. 

Moore,  Wiley  F.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Blacksmith,  transferred 
from  Artificer  to  Musician,  Aug.  8,  1898. 

WAGONER. 

Cummins,  Walter,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Fireman,  discharged 
Nov.  4,  1898. 

PRIVATES. 

Beard,  Otto,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Farmer,  discharged  Feb.  Qf 
1899. 

Bounsall,  William  H.,  Unionville,  N.  Y.,  Painter,  dis- 
charged Jan.  30,.  1899. 

Byers,  John,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Polisher. 

Carson,  Arthur,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Painter,  assigned  company 
cook  Feb.  21 ;  1899,  relieved  as  cook  April  10,  1899. 

Chesser,  Marshall,  Winterowd,  Ind.,  Carpenter,  made  artif- 
icer Aug.  8,  1898. 

Chueden,  Albert,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Painter,  reduced  to  ranks. 
Aug.  8,  1898. 

Clark,  Harry,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Barber. 

Collins,  William,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Machinist,  discharged 
Jan.  26,  1899. 

Comstock,  John,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Plasterer. 

Cooper,  John,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Metalworker,  assigned  com- 
pany cook  April  10,  1899. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  363 

Cosier,  Curtis,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Bicycle  Polisher,  discharged 

Feb.  6,  1899. 

Cutsinger,  Henry,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Engineer. 
Dale,  August  M.,  Jamestown,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Davis,  Larue,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Cabinetmaker. 
Dickman,  John,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Didlein,  Herman  A.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Bookkeeper. 
Ditsch,  Frank,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Textile  Worker. 
Ebner,  Edward,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Varnishmaker. 
Ellis,  Fred,  Anderson,  Ind.,  Lather,  appointed  Wagoner  Oct. 

31,  1898. 
Evans,   John,   Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Painter,  discharged  Feb.   15, 

1899. 

Feaster,  Ora,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Bandsawyer. 
Feaster,  Wilber,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Machine  hand. 
George,  Horace,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Plumber. 
Gregg,  Charles  E.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Waiter,  deserted  Sept. 

10,  1898,  discharged  without  honor  Nov.  4,  1898. 
Hietand,  John  F.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Hendrickson,   True,    Shelbyville,   Ind.,    Farmer,     discharged 

Feb.  27,  1899. 

Hilt,  Henry,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Itce,  John,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Gardener. 
Johnson,  Camden  A.,  Oakland,  Ind.,  Farmer,  discharged 

Jan. 11,  1899. 

Johnson,  George  S.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Jolliff,  Finley,  Flatrock,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Kelly,  Austin  U,,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Waiter. 
Lane,  Harry,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Finisher. 
Law,  George,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Farmer,  discharged  Jan.  14, 

1899. 

Louden,  Charles  A.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Ludwig,  John  M.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Madden,   Charles    H.,    Indianapolis,    Ind.,    Bookkeeper,    dis- 
charged March  21,  1899. 
Mitchell,  Charles,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 


364  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Mott,  Charles  G.,   Shelbyville,  Ind.,    Laborer,  deserted   Oct. 

16,  1898. 
Morris,  Leroy,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Painter,  discharged  Jan.  25, 

1899. 

Omsted,  Edward,   Edinburg,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Osborn,  William,  Mount  Vernon,  Ind.,  Wood  Turner. 
Parrish,  George  W.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Hardwood  Finisher. 
Perkins,  Omer  E.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Perry,  Andrew  J.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Farmer,  discharged  Feb. 

2,  1899. 

Perry,  Howard,  Lawrence,  Ind.,  Teamster. 
Palmer,  Marshall,  Fairland,  Ind.,  Farmer,  discharged   March 

20,  1899. 

Prosser,  Ora,  Indianapolis.  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Price,  Ira  J.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Roberts,   William,    Shelbyville,    Ind.,  Clerk,  discharged  May 

4,  1899. 

Roth,  Robert,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Runyon,  James,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Rupert,  Frank,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Stittsworth,  Ora,  Louisville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Schacherer,  Louis,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Factory  Hand. 
Schumaker,  William,  Sunman,  Ind.,  Merchant. 
Shipley,  George,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Painter. 
Simms,  Thomas,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Teamster. 
Sieg,  John,  Flatrock,  Ind.,  Farmer,  deesrted  Dec.  10,  1898. 
Sims,  Everet,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Tinner. 
Smith,  John  A.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Spice,  Arthur,  Huntington,  Ind.,  Glassworker. 
Southern,    Harry    J.,    Indianapolis,    Ind.,   Moulder,'  deserted 

Sept.  8,  1898,  discharged  without  honor  Nov.  21,  1898. 
Steely,  John,  Indianapolis,   Ind.,  Machinist,  discharged  Aug. 

19,  1898. 
Titus,    Joseph    R. ,  Winterowd,   Ind.,   Carpenter,  discharged 

at  Winterowd,  Ind.,  March  1,  1899. 
Towns,  Arthur,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Mechanic. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  365. 

Vaught,  Fred,  Shelby ville,  Ind.,  Mechanic,  discharged  Sept, 
29,  1898. 

Wheeler,  Jerry,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Westerfield,  Commodore,  Manilla,  Ind.,  Engineer. 

Wiles,  Robert,  Jr.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Finisher. 

Wilson,  William  W.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Cabinetmaker,  dis- 
charged Feb.  17,  1899. 

Williams,  James  A.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Farmer,  discharged 
March  10,  1899. 

Winterowd,  Floyd,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Woods,  George,  Smithland,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Worland,  Frank,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Gardener. 

Worland,  Maurice,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Plumber. 

Wycoff,  Oscar,  Edinburg,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Youngman,  Leon  E.,  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Carpenter. 

LATER    ENLISTMENTS. 

Molder,  William,  Shelbyville,   Ind.,  Furnituremaker,  enlisted 

Aug.  9,  1898. 
Vanpelt,  George  W.,  Shelbyville,   Ind.,  Clerk,  enlisted  Aug. 

10,  1898. 
Kloer,  Arthur,  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Clerk,  enlisted  Dec.  9,  1898. 

TRANSFERRED. 

Hamm,  Michael,  Vincennes,  Ind.,   Butcher,  transferred  from 

Co.  A,  159th  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  Dec.  1,  1898. 
Kopp,  John  G.,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Barber,  transferred  from  Co. 

E,  159th  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  Dec.  1,  1898. 
Burke,  John,  Vincennes,  Ind.,  Student,  transferred  from  Co. 

L-  159th  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  Dec.  1,  1898. 
McCrisaken,   James,   Vincennes,   Ind.,    Butcher,    transferred 

from  Co.  L,  159th  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  Dec.  1,  1898. 
Soden,   Charles,  Vincennes,  Ind.,   Laborer,  transferred  from 

Co.  L,  159th  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  Dec.  1,  1898. 
Coats,    William    T.,    Shelbyville,  Ind.,    Student,   transferred 

from  Co.  K,  161st  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  Jan.  26,  1899. 

I 


366 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


COMPANY  G, 


ALBERT  D.   OGBORN. 

Captain  Albert  D.  Ogborn  was  born  on  a  farm  in 
Wayne  county,  Indiana,  in  1864,  and  spent  the  first  eight- 
een years  of  his  life  there.  He  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  graduating  therefrom  at  thirteen.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1883,  he  removed  to  Newcastle  and  worked  for  a  firm 


CAPTAIN  ALBERT  D.  OGBORN. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  367 

dealing  in  farm  implements  and  later  for  a  dealer  in  shoes. 
During  this  time  he  educated  himself  as  a  stenographer. 
In  November,  1887,  he  was  appointed  storekeeper  of  the 
Northern  Indiana  Hospital  for  Insane  at  Logansport.  He 
gave  up  this  position  in  April,  1889,  to  accept  that  of  offi- 
cial shorthand  reporter  for  the  judicial  circuit  in  which  he 
resides.  While  a  court  reporter  he  found  time  to  study 
law.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1894,  and  is  now 
practicing  law  in  connection  with  court  reporting.  He  has 
been  deeply  interested  in  military  affairs  from  boyhood,  and 
for  ten  years  before  entering  the  army  was  an  enthusiastic 
worker  in  the  Uniform  Rank  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  is 
colonel  of  the  Third  Indiana  Regiment  in  this  organization, 
having  been  granted  an  unlimited  leave  of  absence  to  enter 
the  army.  Captain  Ogborn  is  unmarried. 


JAMES    I.   MEYERS. 

First  Lieutenant  James  I.  Meyers  first  saw  light  in 
Wells  county,  Indiana,  in  September,  1864.  He  was  edu- 
cated at  the  schools  of  the  city  of  Bluffton.  He  learned 
the  baker's  trade  and  followed  it  for  several  years.  In 
1887  he  removed  to  Newcastle  and  was  engaged  in  the  res- 
taurant business  there  when  he  entered  the  army.  He 
received  the  practical  knowledge  of  things  military  pos- 
sessed by  him  when  he  enlisted,  in  the  Uniform  Rank, 
Knights  of  Pythias;  and  resigned  the  captaincy  of  Newcas- 
tle company  in  that  organization  when  he  became  a  sol- 
dier. He  is  married  and  has  a  fine  family  of  three  chil- 
dren. 


368 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


FIRST  LIEUTENANT  JAMES  I.  MEYERS. 


CHARLES    M.   PITTMAN. 

Second  Lieutenant  Charles  M.  Pittman  was  born  in 
Newcastle,  in  1874,  and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
that  city,  graduating  from  the  high  school  in  1892.  While 
in  school  he  was  agent  for  a  city  newspaper,  the  daily  edi- 
tion of  which  he  delivered  to  his  patrons.  For  a  time 
after  leaving  school  he  was  engaged  with  his  father  in  the 
farm  machinery  business.  Later  he  began  the  study  of 
civil  engineering  and  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  that 
profession  when  he  entered  the  army.  He  lives  with  his. 
parents  and  is  unmarried. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


369 


SECOND  LIEUTENANT  CHARLES  M.  PITTMAN. 


HISTORY   OF   COMPANY   G. 

In  the  Civil  war  Henry  county  sent  as  many  soldiers  to 
the  front  as  any  county  in  Indiana  in  proportion  to  its  pop- 
ulation; and  one  of  them,  the  venerablei. William  Grose, 
came  back  a  major-general.  The  bravery  and  patriotism 
of  these  men,  proven  on  a  hundred  battlefields,  descended  to 
their  sons.  When  the  Spanish  students  tore  down  the 
American  flag  in  Barcelona  in  i895,uCaptain  Ogborn  sent 
the  following  message  to  Governor  Matthews:  "  If  Spain 
insists  upon  being  whipped,  I  desire  a  commission  to  raise 

24 


u 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  3/1 

a  company  in  Henry  county  to  help  to  do  it."  When  the 
Maine  was  destroyed  he  again  tendered  his  services  to  Indi- 
ana's governor,  believing  that  war  was  inevitable.  Before 
the  formal  declaration  of  war  and  afterwards  he  begged  the 
governor  to  accept  his  services  in  any  capacity  in  which 
they  might  be  thought  useful. 

When  the  first  call  for  volunteers  was  made  many 
young  men  of  Henry  county  went  to  Indianapolis  and  tried 
to  get  in  the  service,  some  of  them  succeeding;  among  them 
was  Lieutenant  Charles  W.  Pittman.  Believing  that  a  sec- 
ond call  would  be  made,  and  that  if  it  were,  a  company 
could  get  in  from  Henry  county,  Captain  Ogborn  and 
Lieutenant  Myers  began  to  organize  a  company  in  antici- 
pation thereof,  and  were  afterward  joined  by  Lieutenant 
Pittman.  One  hundred  and  thirty  names  were  enrolled,  a 
majority  from  Newcastle,  the  remainder  all  from  Henry 
county;  drilling  was  kept  up  in  the  face  of  long  delay,  and 
the  quiet  opposition  of  the  "  Peace  at  any  price  "  ele- 
ment. Young  men  who  drilled  faithfully  were  sneered  at 
by  apron  string  slaves,  too  lazy  and  too  cowardly  to  enlist 
or  drill.  The  turning  point  was  reached  one  night  in  June, 
when  the  ears  of  a  small  band  of  the  faithful  who  were 
drilling  in  the  street  were  greeted  by  the  "  Rogues  March  " 
whistled  by  some  one  in  a  barber  shop;  the  squad  was 
wheeled  and  lined  up  along  the  sidewalk,  and  a  demand 
made  for  the  offender.  He  finally  admitted  his  identity; 
and  was  warned  that  it  would  not  be  safe  for  him  or  any 
other  person  to  ridicule  any  one  who  had  enlisted  in  the 
company.  From  that  hour  the  tide  was  with  the  vol- 
unteers. 

When  the  company  was  finally  ordered  to  appear  for 
their  preliminary  examination,  to  their  shame  be  it  said, 
over  thirty  of  the  men  enlisted  showed  the  white  feather; 
ten  of  the  remainder,  including  some  of  the  best  fellows 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  373 

alive,  were  rejected,  some  other  good  men  yielded  to  the 
entreaties  of  their  families  and  withdrew.  In  this  emer- 
gency the  captain  turned  to  Muncie,  from  where  an  eloquent 
appeal  for  opportunity  to  enlist  had  come  from  First  Ser- 
geant Fred  \V.  Puckett.  He  and  about  thirty  other  Dela- 
ware county  men,  including  as  good  soldiers  as  ever  wore 
the  blue,  were  finally  accepted  and  have  done  much  to 
make  the  fine  record  of  the  company  what  it  is.  When  the 
examinations  begun,  committees  of  patriotic  citizens 
arranged  for  the  entertainment  of  the  men,  and  during  the 
four  days  which  elapsed  before  the  company  started  for 
Indianapolis  did  everything  possible  to  make  them  com- 
fortable. The  examinations  began  at  10  o'clock  A.  M.  on 
June  2/th,  and  ended  at  i  p.  M.  on  the  29th.  The  captain 
telephoned  the  governor  that  he  had  one  hundred  and  nine 
men  accepted  by  the  local  surgeon. 

On  the  morning  of  July  ist,  every  business  house  in 
the  city  was  closed  and  a  great  crowd  gathered  in  the  pub- 
lic square  where  patriotic  speeches  were  made  by  leading 
citizens  and  some  of  the  orators  in  the  company.  Each 
man  was  given  a  slight  token  of  the  friendship  of  the  citi- 
zens of  New  Castle.  A  great  procession,  headed  by  a  band 
and  composed  of  the  G.  A.  R.  Post,  Uniform  Rank  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  hundreds  of  citizens,  escorted  the  company 
to  the  station,  and  the  train  bearing  it  left  the  city-followed 
by  the  cheers  of  five  thousand  people  who  had  assembled 
there. 

The  sincere  goodwill  of  the  citizens  of  New  Castle 
toward  the  company  was  further  shown  by  their  presenta- 
tion to  each  of  the  three  officers  of  a  handsome  sword. 

The  company  was  the  fourth  to  arrive  at  Indianapolis 
and  the  first  one  ready  to  be  mustered.  It  was  mustered 
in  on  July  12,  1898. 


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ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  375 


COMPANY    G    ROSTER. 

ALBERT  D.  OGBORX,  Captain,  New  Caslle. 
JAMES  I.  MEYERS,  1st  Lieutenant,  New  Castle. 
CHARLES  M.  PITMAN,  2nd  Lieutenant,  New  Castle. 

SERGEANTS. 

Puckett,  Fred  W.,  1st  Serg't.,  Muncie,  Ind.,  Medical  Student, 
mustered  as  private  July  27,  1898,  appointed  1st  Serg't 
Aug.  1,  1898. 

Owens,  Charles  B.,  Franklin,  Ind.,   Grocer. 

Engle,  T.  William,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Printer,  transferred  to 
Hospital  Corps  U.  S.  A  ,  Aug.  20,  1898. 

Welsbacher,  John,  Mead vi He,  Pa.,  Glass  Blower. 

Martin,  Albert  O.,  Muncie,  Ind.,  Dental  Student,  mustered 
as  Corp.  July  12,  1898,  appointed  Serg't  Mar.  20,  1899. 

Eilar,  Benjamin  W.,  Newcastle,  Ind.,  Bridge  Builder,  ap- 
pointed Corp.  Dec.  20,  18(J8,  appointed  Serg't  Feb.  17, 
1899. 

Luther,  E.  Murray ,'Q.  M.  Serg't.,  Blountsville.  Ind.,  Clerk, 
mustered  as  Corp.  July  13,  1898,  appointed  Q.  M. 
Serg't  Dec.  22,  1899. 

CORPORALS. 

Keesling,  Ray.  Mechanicsberg,  Ind.,  Clerk. 

McKimmey,  Linley  W.,  Muncie,  Ind.,  Engineer. 

Elliott,  George  H.,  Me  hanic.sburg.  Ind.,  Well  Driller. 

Fadely,  Joseph  II.,  Honey  Creek,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Gontner,  Charles  R.,  Muncie,  Ind.,  Salesman. 

Baldwin,  Ellwood  L.,  Spiceland,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Nugent,  Harry  S.,  Kennard,  Ind.,  Editor. 

Allen,  Alonzo,  Muncie,  Ind.,  Bartender,  transferred  to  Hospi- 
tal Corps,  U.  S.  Army,  Aug.  20,  1898. 

Goddard,  Joseph,  Middletown,  Ind.,  Glass  Blower,  appointed 
Corp.  Dec.  20,  1898. 

Gaddis,  Max  P.,  New  Castle,  Ind.,  Cook,  appointed  Corp. 
Dec.  29,  1898. 


3/6  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Shellenbarger,   Charles,    Muncie,    Ind.,     Laborer,    appointed 

Corp.  Feb.  17,  1899. 
Robinson,  Elmer,   Franklin,   Ind.,    Laborer,  appointed  Corp. 

Mar.  20,   1899. 
Baxley,    Robert    F.,    Princeton,     Ind.,    Laborer,    transferred 

from  159th  I.  V.  I.,  Dec.  1,  1898,  and  appointed  Corp. 

Dec.  29,  1898. 

MUSICIANS. 

VanDyke,  Henry  W.,  Lewisville,  Ind. ,  Blacksmith,  discharged 

Mar.  17,  1899. 
Beeson,  Edward,  Dalton,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

ARTIFICER. 

Hutchens,  Huston,  Xew  Castle,  Ind.,  Mechanic. 

WAGONER. 

Livezey,  Oscar,  Newcastle,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

COOK. 

Snider,  Daniel    Vorhees,  Muncie,  Ind.,    appointed    Company 
Cook  Oct.  10,  1898. 

PRIVATES. 

Akers,  Joseph, Middletown,  Ind., Glassblower,  discharged  Feb. 

6,   1899. 

Barnett,  Guy,  Newcastle,  Ind.,  Plasterer. 
Barnes,  Henry,  Muncie,  Ind.,  Finisher. 
Bock,  Claud,  Newcastle,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Brown,  Roy  W.,   Newcastle,  Ind.,   Drum  Major,  transferred 

to  band  Aug.  27,  1898. 
Buckley,  Guy,  Newcastle,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Canaday,  James,  Newcastle,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Cecil,  Fred  P.,  Muncie,  Ind.,  Student. 
Darling,  Alva,  Spiceland,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Darnell,  Harry  C.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Student. 
Davenport,  Frank  N.,  Newcastle.  Ind..  Painter. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  3/7 

Detrich,    George  Carlos,   Muncie,   Ind  ,    B  >ttler,    discharged 

Sept.  28,  1898. 
Dolan,  John,  Cambridge  City,  Ind.,  Fireman,   transferred  to 

Hospital  Corps,  U.  S.  Army,  Aug.  20.  1898. 
Faulkner,  Henry,  Muncie,   Ind.,  Laborer,  discharged  Jan.  13, 

1899. 

Filson,  James  Leroy,  New  Lisbon,  Ind.,  Sawyer. 
Fisher,  Frank  W.,  Newcastle,  Ind.,  Ball  Player. 
Frazee,  Walker,  Byers,  Ohio,  School  Teacher. 
Freeman,  Perry,  Muncie,  Ind..  Laborer. 
Freeland,  Thomas,  New  Lisbon,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Foster,  Frank,  Spiceland,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Goodman,  Bud,  Muncie,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Hale,  Frank,  Springport,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Hale,  Thomas  T.,  Dublin,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Halfaker,  Edgar  B.,  Franklin,  Ind.,   Blacksmith,  discharged 

Aug.  22,  1898. 

Hamilton,  Frank  M.,  Newcastle,  Ind.,  Dentist. 
Hamilton,  Benton  F.,  Greensboro,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Hanna,  John  W.,  Ft.  Worth,  Texas.  Laborer. 
Harper,  Charles,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Ironworker. 
Hickman,  Herbert  H.,  Springport,   Ind.,   Farmer,    discharged 

Mar.  13,  1899. 
Holton,  Hoyt  A.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Printer,  discharged  Jan. 

12,  1899. 

Huddleston,  Arthur  A.,  Dublin,  Ind.,  Tinner. 
Irwin,  George,  New  York  City,  N.  Y.,  Broommaker. 
Israel,  William  G.,  Franklin,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Jackson,  Solomon,  Franklin,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Lamb,  Oltie  F.,  Dalton,  Ind.,  Blacksmith. 
Lane,  Fred,  Mooreland,  Ind..  Farmer. 
Leech,  J.  Morris,  F.,  Muncie.  Ind.,  Decorator,  transferred   to 

.      Hosp.  Corps  Aug.  20,  1898. 
Leonard,  John  M.,  Muncie,  Ind.,  Wheelworker. 
Leonard,  Arthur,  Muncie,  Ind..  Rougher. 
Lykens,  Sebastian,  Spiceland,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
McCoy,  Charles,  Muncie.  Ind.,  Bricklayer. 


378  HISTORY    OF    THE 

McCoy,    Clarence,   Muncie,  Ind.,  Laborer,  discharged    Sept. 

27,  1898. 
Martin,   Henry    C.,  Jr.,   Muncie,    Ind.,   Laborer,   discharged 

Feb.  17,  1899. 

Martindale,   George,  Hagerstown,  Ind.,  Photographer. 
Miller,  James  W.,  New  Castle,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Mitchell,  Lemuel,  Middletown,  Tinplateworker. 
Morgan,  Cliff,  Greensburg,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Netz,  Charles,  Ashland.,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Newby,  Otis,  Greensboro,  Ind.,  Miller. 
Newby,  George  W.,  Greensboro,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Nichols,  Noah  A.,  Honey  Creek,  Ind.,  Jockey. 
Paul,  John  J..  Muncie,  Ind.,  Glassworker. 
Pierson,  Joseph  M..  Muncie,  Ind.,  Laborer,   discharged   Dec. 

22,  1898. 
Prager,  James  M.,  Seattle,  Wash.,  Prospector,  transferred  to 

Hosp.  Corps,  U.  S.  A.,  January  9,  1899. 
Rawlins,  Winfield,  Byers,  Ohio,  Mining. 
Reece,  Benjamin  F.,  Muncie,  Ind.,  Wheelworker, 
Rogers,  Paul,  Muncie,  Ind.,    Hatter,   mustered  as    1st   Serg't 

July  12,  1898,  by  his  own  request  was  reduced  to  ranks 

July  31,  1898. 
Rothbaust,  Jesse,   Franklin,  Ind.,    Laborer,  discharged   Feb. 

8,  1899. 

Sears,  Walton  D.,  Spiceland,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Sherer,  Albert,  Muncie,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Shuee,  Edward  C.,  Muncie,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Swaim,  Clarence  T.,  Dublin,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Sweezy,  John,  Franklin,   Ind.,  Laborer. 
Wahl,  John,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,   Laborer. 
Walden,  Edgar  Otis,  Muncie,  Ind.,  Glassworker. 
Wilmuth,  Arthur,  Kennard,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Wilson,  John  W.,  Muncie,  Ind.,  Glassworker. 
Winnings,  Mark,  Ashland,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Winnings,  Walter  A.,  Ashland,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Wintersteen,  Minor,  New  Castle,  Ind.,  Farmer. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  379 

Wolfe,  Edwin,  Mooreland,   Ind.,  Laborer,    discharged   Feb. 

10,  1899. 

Woods,  Harry,  Dublin,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Yates,  Ira  O.,  Middletown,  Ind.,  Laborer,  discharged  March 

17,  1899. 

LATER    ENLISTMENTS. 

Green,   Oscar,.  Muncie,   Ind.,    Machinist,    mustered    Aug.  8, 

1898. 
King,  Fred   C.,  Muncie,  Ind.,    Carpenter,    mustered  Aug.  8, 

1898. 
Reynolds,   Clyde   B.,    Hagerstown,    Ind.,    Farmer,    mustered 

Aug.  8,  1898,  discharged  Jan.  19,  1899. 
Sheller,  Charles,  Muncie,  Ind..    Carpenter,    mustered  Aug.  8, 

1898. 
Sherman,  William  A.,  Middletown,  Ind.,  Laborer,  mustered 

Aug.  8,  1898. 
Armstrong,    John   L.,    Princeton,    Ind.,     Farmer,  transferred 

from  159th  I.  V.  I.,  Dec.  1,  1898. 
Hogue,    Edward    H.,    Princeton,    Ind.,    Laborer,  transferred 

from  159th  I.  V.  I.,  Dec.  1,  18i>8. 
Malone,  Clarence   A.,   Princeton,    Ind. ,  Butcher,   transferred 

from  159th  I.  V.  I.,  Dec.  1,  1898. 
Robinson,  Floyd    W.,    Larwell,  Ind.,   Machinist,   transferred 

from  159th  I.  V.  L,  Dec.  1,  1898. 
Newsum,    Fred    B.,  Patoka,    Ind.,    Miner,    transferred    from 

159th  I.  V.  I.    Dec.  1,  1898. 
Turnage,  George  W.,  Princeton,    Ind.,    Laborer,  transferred 

from    159th   I.  V.  L,  Dec.    1,  1898;  discharged   Feb.  3, 

1899. 
Warren,   Benjamin    F.,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Farmer,  transferred 

from  159th  I.  V.  I.  Dec.  1,  1898. 
Wolfe,  Walter  G.,  Evansville,   Ind.,  Blacksmith,  transferred 

from  159th  L  V.  I.  Dec.  1,  1898. 
Taylor,  Eugene  B.,  Carmi,    111.,   Mechanic,  transferred   from 

Regimental  Band  Dec.  22,  1898. 


38o 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


COMPANY  H. 


JAMES  M.    GWINN. 

Captain  James  M.  Gwinn  was  born  at  Burlington, 
Carroll  county,  Indiana,  in  1847.  He  gave  up  completing 
his  education  to  enter  the  Civil  war,  enlisting  in  July,  1863, 


CAPTAIN  JAMES  M.  GWINN. 

as  a  private  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Indiana, 
from  which  he  was  discharged  the  March  following.  In 
December,  1864,  he  re-enlisted  in  the  Forty-sixth  Indiana, 
and  was  mustered  out  September  4,  1865.  He  partici- 
pated in  five  engagements  during  his  term  of  service,  the 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  381 

principal  ones  of  which  were  Bull's  Gap,  Tazewell  and 
Walker's  Ford.  After  the  war  he  farmed  for  a  time,  but 
for  the  last  twenty  years  has  been  engaged  in  the  livery 
business  at  Rushville. 


HENRY  B.    PATTOX. 

Henry  B.  Patton,  first  lieutenant  Company  H,  was 
born  near  Spring  Hill,  Decatur  county,  Indiana.  His 
youth  was  spent  on  the  farm.  At  an  early  age  he  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Rush  county,  where  he  has  since 


FIRST  LIEUTENANT  HENRY  B.  PATTON. 


382  HISTORY    OF    THE 

resided.  He  attended  the  common  schools  near  his  home 
and  afterward  attended  DePauw  University,  graduating 
with  the  class  of  '94.  He  served  as  deputy  clerk  of  the 
Rush  circuit  court  for  three  years,  resigning  his  position  to 
accept  a  commission  as  second  lieutenant.  When  the 
regiment  went  to  Camp  Cuba  Libre  he  was  appointed 
aide-de-camp  to  General  L.  F.  Hubbard,  commanding 
Third  Division,  Seventh  Army  Corps,  serving  in  that 
capacity  until  the  division  was  abolished,  pending  General 
Hubbard's  retirement,  when  he  was  returned  to  his  com- 
pany. He  was  commissioned  first  lieutenant  August  28, 
1898,  vice  John  F.  Joyce,  resigned. 


GEORGE   H.   CALDWELL. 

George  H.  Caldwell,  second  lieutenant  Company  H, 
One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry, 
is  a  native  of  Rushville,  Indiana.  His  boyhood  and  early 
manhood  were  spent  on  a  farm  near  that  city.  He  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  and  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen was  licensed  as  a  teacher,  which  pursuit  he  followed 
for  two  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  and  'for  ten 
years  following  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  a  dry  goods 
store  at  Rushville.  For  a  number  of  years  since  that  time 
he  has  acted  as  a  traveling  salesman  in  the  same  line. 
He  enlisted  in  Company  H  as  a  private,  but  was  appointed 
first  sergeant  at  the  final  organization  at  Indianapolis.  On 
August  28th  he  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant  by 
the  governor  of  Indiana  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  the 
resignation  of  Lieutenant  Joyce.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
politics  and  a  member  of  Ivy  Lodge  No.  27,  Knights  of 
Pvthias. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


383 


SECOND  LIEUTENANT,  GEORGE  H.  CALDWELL. 


COMPANY  H  HISTORY. 

Company  H  was  organized  at  Rushville  by  Captain 
Gwinn  and  Lieutenant  Joyce,  who  had  each  previously 
raised  companies  and  tried  to  secure  recognition  on  the 
first  call  for  volunteers.  Realizing  that  it  would  be  neces- 
sary to  combine  their  forces  in  order  to  secure  recognition, 
the  companies  were  united,  Lieutenant  Joyce  agreeing  to 
accept  second  place  in  consideration  of  Captain  Gwinn's 
previous  service. 

The  company  at  once  began  drilling,  and  having  been 


z 

< 

OH 
S 

U 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  385 

assured  of  a  place  in  the  new  regiment  to  be  organized,  it 
went  into  camp  at  the  fair  grounds  on  June  2Oth,  remain- 
ing there  ten  days  until  ordered  to  Camp  Mount,  being  the 
first  one  to  arrive  there.  It  was  mustered  into  the 
service  on  July  12,  1898.  It  is  composed  principally  of 
Rush  county  men,  although  quite  a  number  of  other  coun- 
ties throughout  the  state  are  represented,  the  principal  one 
being  Fayette. 


COMPANY    H    ROSTER. 

Gwixx,  JAMES  M.,  Captain — Rushville,  Ind.,  Liveryman. 
JOYCE,  JOHX   F.,  1st   Lieutenant — Rushville,    Ind.,  Lawyer; 

resigned ;     resignation     accepted    Aug.    80,     1898,    at 

Jacksonville,  Fla.,  ill  health. 
PATTOX,  HEXRY  B.,  1st  Lieutenant — Richland,  Ind.,  Clerk, 

promoted  from  2d  Lieutenant  Sept.  8,  1898. 
CALDWELL,    GEORGE  H.,    2d    Lieutenant,    Rushville,    Ind., 

Farmer,  promoted  from  1st  Sergeant  Sept.  10,  1898. 

SERGEAXTS. 

Caldwell,  Joseph  J.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Watchman. 

Comstock,  Charles  E.,  Lyons,  Iowa,  Druggist. 

Hunt,  Geston  P.,  Orange  P.  O.,  Clerk. 

Wolfe,  Charles  E.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Musician. 

Stiers,  Edgar,  Richland,  Ind.,  School  Teacher. 

Ailes,  Jesse  W.,  Stipps  Hill,  Ind.,  Farmer,  promoted  to   Corp. 

Aug.  28,  1898,  promoted  to  Serg't  Dec.  81,  1898. 
Beale,  Fred   R.,  Rushville,  Ind.,   Tailor,  promoted    to  Corp. 

Dec.  27,  1898,  promoted  to  Serg't  Jan.  4,  1899. 

CORPORALS. 

Felts,  Jacob  D.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Cabinetmaker. 

Gross,  Fred,  Manilla,  Ind.,  Clerk. 

\\Vrtx,  Harrison  E.,  Arlington,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Johnson,  Riley,  Richland,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
25 


o 
u 


W 

cn 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  387 

Innis,  John  W.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Aeronaut,  transferred  to  U. 

S.   Vol.  Signal    Corps    Dec.    1,  1898,  per  order  Adju- 
tant General's  office 
Alexander,  Fred.,  Rushville,  Ind..  Telegrapher,  promoted   to 

Corp.  Dec.  27,  1898. 
Caldwell,   Robert   G.,  Rushville,    Ind.,  Student,  promoted  to 

Corp.  Jan.  26,  1899. 
Gardner,    William   E.,  Rushville,   Ind.,  Farmer,  promoted   to 

Corp.  Aug.   16,  1898. 
Gilson,  James,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Laborer,   promoted  to   Corp. 

Jan.  26,  1899. 
Hall,  Harry  H.,  Connersville,  Ind.,  Clothing  Clerk,  promoted 

to  Corp.  Oct.  1,  1898. 
Harry,  Vernie,   Richland,    Ind.,  Farmer,    promoted   to  Corp. 

Aug.  23,  1898. 
McCoy,   Michael   P.,   Rushville,   Ind.,    Turner,    promoted   to 

Corp.  Dec.  27,  1&98. 
Pearsey,  Chase,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Heading  Worker,  promoted 

to  Corp.  Dec.  27,  1898. 
Vieke,  Edward  C.,  Corporal,  Vincennes,   Ind.,  Cigarmaker, 

promoted    to    Corp.    Dec.    27,    1898,   transferrrd    from 

159th  Ind.  Vol.  Inf.,  Nov.  23,  1898. 

MUSICIANS. 

Huffman,   Edward,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Musician,   transferred  to 

to  161st  Reg.  Band  Aug.  23,  1898. 
Middleton,  Basil,  Connersville,  Ind.,  Cabinetmaker. 
Jameson,  Jesse  K.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Blacksmith. 

WAGONER. 

Miller,  Charles,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

PRIVATES. 

Adams,  James  F.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Cook. 

Allenthorp,  Ira,  Arlington,  Ind.,  Student,  transferred  to  161st 
Reg.  Band  Aug.  23,  1898,  transferred  back  to  Co.  Dec. 

22,  1898. 


I 

s 

O 

u 


CJ 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  389 

Armstrong,  John  H.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Artist. 

Armstrong,    Joseph    A.,    Jr.,  Rushville,    Ind.,    Telegrapher, 

transferred  to  U.  S.    Vol.  Signal   Corps  Sept.  8,  1898, 

per  order  Adjutant  General's  office. 
Baylor.  Frank  C.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
Baker,  Arthur,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Laborer, 
Ball,  William  H.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Machinist. 
Bartlett,  Orville,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Tinner. 
Boling,  George  W.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Printer. 
Bowne,  Owen  O.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Table  Waiter,  discharged 

by  order    Maj.-Gen.  Lee,  Sept.  27,  1898,  for  disability. 
Brown,  Leslie  B.,  Richland,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Burdock,  Harry,   76   Clarkson    St..  Xew   York    City.  X.  Y., 

Mechanic. 

Cassady.  Rue.  Rushville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Cauley,  Anthony  B. ,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Machinist. 
Davis,  Harry  W.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Devers.  Bert  L.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Emmons,  Harrie  E.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Horseman. 
Fox,    Bert,    Arlington,    Ind.,  Painter,    discharged    by    order 

Maj.-Gen.  Lee  Feb.  10,  1899,  for  disability. 
Francis,    Fred.    C.,  68   Blaine   ave.,  West   Indianapolis,  Ind., 

Tinner. 
Gable,  Clyde   C.,  Ind'anapolis,    Ind.,  Bedmaker,  died   in    Ft. 

McPherson,  Ga.,  Hospital,   Nov.    3,  1898,   of  typhoid 

fever,  body  interred  at  Union  City,  Ind. 
Geiger,  Ira  E.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Printer. 
Glass,  John,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Glisson,  Will,  Connersville,  Ind.,  Painter. 
Graves,  Fred,  Thorntown,  Ind.,  Student. 
Greenlee,  Earl,  Rushville,  Ind. 
Guire,  Jesse  W.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Drayman. 
Hambrock,  Charles  E.,  Manilla,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Hatfield,  John  W.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Heaton,  Clarence,   Muncie,  Ind.,  Laborer,  transferred  to  3rd 

Div.  Hospital  Corp,  Aug.  20,  1898. 
Hilligoss,  Oscar  R.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 


39O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Hoffner,  Charles  S.,  Connersville,  Ind.,  Painter. 

Holder,  George,  Connersville,  Ind.,  Woodcarver. 

Jester,  Cheniah  F.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Sawyer. 

Jones,  George  B.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Physician,  appointed  Hos- 
pital Steward  Sept.  10,  1898. 

Kenner,  Ralph  H.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Klingworth,  William,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Painter. 

Lindsay,  Charles  F.,  Price  Hill,  3789  Warsaw  ave.,  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  Painter. 

Lohrman.  Walter,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Cabinetmaker. 

Levi,  Harry  C.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

McClain,  Clinton,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

McCrory,  Fred,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Marvin,  Buford,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Mathews,  Charles  M.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Miller,  Clint  M.,  Arlington,  Ind.,  Barber. 

Mitchell,  William  T.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Drop-forger. 

Moore,  Thomas  C.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Veneer  Layer. 

Mootz,  Fredric,  1517  S.  Reisner  St.,  West  Indianapolis, 
Ind.,  Baker. 

Morford,  Irwin,  Anderson,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Myers,  Will,  Connersv.ille,  Ind.,  Machinist. 

Newbor,  Charles  A.,  Clarksburg,  Ind.,  Horseman. 

Newman,  William  G.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Poultry  Dresser. 

Norris,  Frank,   Rushville.  Ind.,  Farmer. 

O'Day,  James,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Painter. 

Owsley,  Carl  W.,  Thorntown,  Ind.,  Student. 

Palmes,  Ira  H.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Electrician. 

Parker,  Ralph  C.,  830  Broadway,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Student, 
discharged  Sept.  21,  1898,  for  disability,  by  order  Sec- 
retary of  War. 

Perkins,  Greely,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Tinner. 

Perkins,  Jesse  F.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Laborer,  discharged  April 
21,  1899. 

Phillips,  Joseph,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Machinist. 

Plummer,  George  A.,  Connersville,  Ind.,  Carriage  Trimmer. 

Pollett,  Edward,  Arlington,  Ind.,  Laborer. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  391 

Ragun,    Ernest    L.,    Connersville,    Intl.,    Painter,  discharged 

Sept.  27,  1898,  for  disability  by  order  of  Major-General 

Lee. 

Robertson,  William  II.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Rucker,  Henry   V.,  Arlington,  Ind.,   Farmer,    transferred   to 

Regimental  Band  Sept.  8,  1898. 
Runk,  Jacob  J.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Stone  Cutter. 
Seibel,  Henry,  Hamburg,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Shields,  Robert  H.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Smith,  Chinonie  R.,  New  Salem,  Laborer. 
Smith,  Lewis,  Williston,  O.,  Miner. 
Stiers,  William  M.,  Richland,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Stratton,  Lemon  M.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Timber  Dealer. 
Vest,  Charles,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Wallace,    Leven   E.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Printer,    transferred   to 

3rd  Div.  Hosp.  Corps,  Aug.  20,  1898,  discharged  Dec. 

22,  1898,  per  order  Adjutant  General's   office,  at  Josiah 

Simpson  Gen'l  Hospital. 

Wells,  Dudley,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Machinist. 
Whalen,  William  T.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Teamster. 
Wilson,  Harold  E.,  Rushville,  Ind.,  Student. 
Young,  Monroe  E.,  Richland,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

TRANSFERRED    FROM     159TH    IND.   VOL.    INF.,  NOV.   28,   1898. 

Cassell,  Don  H.,  Private,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Clerk. 

Dodd,  Edward  L.,  Private,  Rusellville,  111.,  Farmer. 

Fedder,  John  H.,  Private,  Bloomington,  Ind.,  Filler. 

Lee,  Harry,  Private,  Washington,  Ind.,  Baker. 

Maher,  William,  Private,  Washington,  Ind.,  Hostler. 

McGahan,  Claude,  Private,  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Cook,  dis- 
charged April  22,  1899. 

Thompson,  Charles  K.,  Private,  Terre  Haute,  Ind,  Laborer. 

Trimble,  John  W.,  Private,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Potter. 

Talbott,  Gerald,  Private,  Gosport,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Vaughn,  William  H.,  Private,  Vincennes,  Ind.,  Student. 

Vance,  Arlyn  T.,  Private,  Irvington,  Ind.,  Student,  mustered 
in  Dec.  22,  1898. 


392  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Westfall,  Walter,  Private,  lona,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Harris,  Isaac,  Private,  Washington,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

LATER    ENLISTMENTS AUGUST    9,    1898. 

Kendall,  Robert,  Private,  Lewis  Creek,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Bask,  William,  Private,  New  Castle,  Ind.,  Laborer. 


COMPANY  L. 

JAMES  L.   ANDERSON. 

James  L.  Anderson,  captain  of  Company  L,  was  born 
near  Selma,  Clark  county,  Ohio,  July  2,  1850.  He  came 
with  his  parents  to  Warren  county,  Indiana,  in  1853,  where 
he  resided  until  1874.  He  took  a  business  course  in  the 
Commercial  College«at  Oberlin,  Ohio,  and  a  course  in  the 
School  of  Pharmacy  at  thei  University  of  Michigan,  leaving 
there  in  1877.  He  engaged  in  school  teaching  for  several 
terms  after  returning  to  Indiana,  and  in  1879  went  into  the 
drug  business  in  Montgomery  county,  Indiana.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1880,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Florence  M. 
McClure,  atjAVingate,  Indiana.  They  have  one  child, 
Carl  R.  Anderson.  In  1885  he  sold  out  and  went  to  Frank- 
fort, Indiana,  and  went  on  the  road  for  a  commercial  firm 
for  a  year,  but  returned  to  the  drug  business  in  1887.  In 
1890  he  sold  out  his  business  to  accept  a  position  as  travel- 
ing salesman,  and  in  1895  was  appointed  as  guard  at  the 
Indiana  State  Prison  North,  where  he  was  employed  when 
war  was  declared  with  Spain,  and  resigned  his  position  to 
enter  the  service  as  captain  of  Company  L.  Captain  An- 
derson is  of  English  descent,  his  father's  family  settling  in 
eastern  Maryland  and  his  mother's  in  old  Virginia,  and 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  393 


CAPTAIN  JAMES  L.  ANDERSON. 

though  of  Quaker  descent  had  five  brothers  in  the  Union 
army  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  and  is  a  distant 
relative  of  Major  Anderson,  of  Fort  Sumter  fame. 


ELI  W.   PETERSON. 

First  Lieutenant  Eli  \V.  Peterson  was  born  near 
Decatur,  Indiana,  in  1873.  His  parents  moved  to  Decatur 
while  he  was  an  infant,  and  as  he  grew  up  he  was  educated 
there.  In  1885  he  emigrated  with  them  to  Mead  Center, 


394  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Kansas,  residing  there  three  years.  From  there  he  went 
to  Colorado,  returning  to  Decatur  in  1890.  He  entered 
the  regular  army  in  1891,  receiving  an  honorable  discharge 


FIRST  LIEUTENANT  ELI  W.   PETERSON. 

three  years  later.  Again  returning  to  Decatur,  he  went 
into  the  printing  business,  which  he  gave  up  after  two  years 
to  accept  a  position  as  guard  at  the  Indiana  State  Prison 
North,  and  which  he  resigned  in  order  to  accept  his  com- 
mission as  lieutenant. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  395 


CHARLES  E.   DORITY. 

Second   Lieutenant   Charles   E.    Dority  was    born  in 

Waterville,    New  York,  in    1874,  removing  from  there  to 

Three  Oaks,  Michigan,   in    1889.      In   1896  he  removed  to 


SECOND  LIEUTENANT,  CHARLES  E.  DORITY. 

Michigan  City,  Indiana,  and  entered  the  employ  of  Ford, 
Johnson  &  Co.,  wholesale  furniture  manufacturers,  remain- 
ing with  them  until  he  enlisted. 

On  the  trip  to  Jacksonville  he  was  appointed  provost 
marshal  of  the  Third  Battalion.  His  work  proving  satis- 
factory, he  was  at  once  detailed  as  assistant  to  Major  Har- 


396  HISTORY    OF    THE 

rison,  provost  marshal  of  the  Seventh  Army  Corps,  which 
position  he  very  creditably  filled. 


HISTORY  OF  COMPANY  L. 

CompanyiL  was  organized  at  Michigan  City,  Indiana, 
at  the  beginning  of  hostilities  between  Spain  and  the  United 
States.  On  May  ist,  1898,  a  meeting  was  held  at  which 
time  the  present  officers  were  elected.  Owing  to  its  failure 
to  be  accepted  on  the  first  call  many  changes  took  place; 
many  feeling  that  there  would  be  but  one  call,  left  to  join 
other  organizations  that  had  been  accepted  and  had  still 
many  vacant  places. 

This,  however,  did  not  have  a  demoralizing  effect  as  the 
company  had  many  on  its  lists  in  excess  of  the  required 
number.  When  it  became  apparent  that  the  second  call 
would  be  made,  much  enthusiasm  was  evinced  and  the 
organization  gained  many  new  members  from  all  parts  of 
Laporte  county,  and  also  a  few  from  southern  Michigan. 

On  June  24th  word  was  received  by  Captain  Anderson 
of  the  acceptance  of  the  company  and  also  to  prepare  it 
for  service. 

Immediately  preparations  were  begun.  Each  member 
was  subjected  to  a  rigid  examination  which  resulted  in 
turning  out  a  company  of  men  who  were  perfect  specimens 
of  physical  manhood.  On  July  ist  the  company  was 
ordered  to  report  at  Indianapolis,  which  it  did,  leaving 
Michigan  City,  at  8  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  July  2nd  and 
arriving  at  Indianapolis  about  2:30  o'clock  of  the  same  day. 
The  company  was  taken  to  Camp  Mount  and  quartered  in 
one  of  the  numerous  buildings  there.  Preparations  were 
immediately  begun  for  the  final  examination  and  muster. 
While  at  Camp  Mount  a  few  more  members  were  taken 


n 
o 


z 

•< 

r 


398  HISTORY    OF    THE 

into  the  company  from  Indianapolis  and  Bedford,  Indiana. 
The  final  examination  took  place  on  Friday,  July  8th  and 
was  followed  on  July  I3th  by  being  mustered  into  the  serv- 
ice of  the  United  States  as  full  pledged  soldiers. 


COMPANY    L    ROSTER. 

JAMES  L.  ANDERSON,  Captain,  Frankfort,  Ind. 
ELI  W.  PETERSON,  1st  Lieutenant,  Decature,  Ind. 
CHARLES  L.  DORITY,  2d  Lieutenant,  Michigan  City,  Ind. 

SERGEANTS, 

Cissel,  Ernest  W.,  Laporte,  Ind.,  Printer. 
Ansley,  Robert,  Westville,  Ind.,  Medical  Student. 
Southard,  William  E.,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Plasterer. 
Brown,  Arthur  R.,  Lebanon,  Ind.,  Clerk. 
McDonald,  Joseph,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

CORPORALS. 

Ongman,  Carl,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Carpenter. 

Dilworth.  Leslie,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Kinnel,  Howard  M.,  Michigan  City,  Ind..  Mechanic. 

Dodds,  William  L.,  Zelina,  Ind.,  Railroad  employe. 

Jackson,  Henry   B.,   Laporte,    Ind.,   Printer,    promoted    from 
ranks  Aug.  20,  1898. 

Birjinski,  Frank,  Michigan   City,   Ind.,   Woodpolisher,   pro- 
moted from  ranks,  Aug.  20,  1898. 

Kalies,    Charles  T.,    Westville,   Ind.,   Clerk,  promoted   from 
ranks  Aug.  20,  1898. 

Walton,  Edward  V.,  Wanatah,  Ind.,  Painter,  promoted  from 
ranks  Aug.  20,  1898. 

Davidson,  Reynolds,  Michigan   City,  Ind.,   Tailor,  promoted 

from  ranks  Aug.  20,  1898. 

Hall,  Henry  M.,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Painter,  promoted  from 
ranks  Aug.    20,  1898. 


IT; 
W 


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o 

2 
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4OO  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Simpson,  Washington    W.,  Laporte,  Ind.,  Laborer,  promoted 

from  ranks  Dec.  21,  1898. 
Fiffer,   Fred.,  New  York    City,   Shoemaker,   promoted    from 

ranks  April  10,  1899. 

MUSICIANS. 

Gorden,    Albert.   Michigan    City,    Ind.,    Laborer,    appointed 

from  ranks  Aug.  1,  1898. 
Thomas  Edward,  Brookville,    Ind.,   Editor,  transferred  from 

159th  Ind.,  Nov.  23,  1898. 

COOK. 

Schott,  John  P.,  Buffalo,   N.  Y.,   Jeweler,    enlisted  as    cook 
Dec.  6,  1898,  at  Savannah,  Ga. 

ARTIFICER. 

Renfro,     Lorenzo     D.,     T   ree    Oaks,     Mich.,     Brickmason, 
appointed  from  ranks  Aug.  27,  1898. 

WAGONER. 

Chronister,  Benjamin  F.,  Laporte,    Ind.,   Farmer,   enlisted   as 
wagoner. 

PRIVATES. 

Akers,  William  H.,  Paoli,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Babcock,  Virgil  P.,  Porter,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Babcock,  Daniel  D.,  Babcock,  Ind..  Farmer. 
Baldwin,  Charles  F.,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Blacksmith. 
Bays,  George  R.,  Three  Oaks,  Mich.,  Laborer. 
Bauman,  Irvin,  Michigan  City,  Ind..  Laborer, 
Bello,  Antonio,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Marble  cutter. 
Bottume,  Gurdon,  Laporte,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Campbell,  Herbert,  Indianapolis,   Ind.,  Laborer. 
Closser,  Paul  M.,  Laporte,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Cole,  Frank  L.,  Westville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Creider,  Oliver  P..  Bedford,  Ind.,  Quarry  man. 
Cromey,  Henry  A.,  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Cronin.  Andrew,  Westville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 


4<D2  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Culbertson,  Sant,  Westville,  Ind.,  Printer. 

Denny,  William  S.,  Michigan  City,  lud.,  Painter. 

Dreblow,  Louis  H.,  San  Pierre.  Ind.,  Painter. 

Drewer,  Winfred  F.,  Laporte,  Ind.,  Fireman. 

Feistel,  Gustave  \V.,  Michigan  City,  Ind,  Cabinetmaker 

Flewellen,  Fred.,  Battle  Creek.  Mich.,  Fanner. 

Gassow.  Charles,  Michigan   City,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Graves,  Edward,  Winamac,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Harness,  Jason,  Stillwell,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Harris,  Allen  C.,  Westville.  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Haskins,  Ernest,  Niles,  Mich.,  Laborer. 

Hawkins,  George  F.,  Westville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Hixon,  Warren  H.,  Westville,  Ind..  Farmer. 

Hoff,  Horace,  Bedford.  Ind..  Mechanic. 

Hopkins,    William,  Michigan  City,  Ind..  Fireman. 

Johnson,  Edwin  R.,  Bedford,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Kennedy,  Joseph  J.,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Kernoodle,  William,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Klingler,  Emanuel  G.,  Three  Oaks.  Mich.,  Farmer. 

Larson,  August,  Chesterton,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Lederer,  Alexander,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Dentist. 

Lotridge,  Henry  G.,  Bloomington,  Ind.,  Railroader. 

Low,  Henry  J.,  Three  Oaks,  Mich.,  Laborer. 

Lyons,  Elza,  Westville,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Mojensky,  Joseph,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Mutch,  Hubert,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

McGinnis,  Robert  C.,,  Westville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Noakes,  Willard  L.,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Painter. 

Ooborn,  Gaylord,  Wanatah,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Owens,  Robert  E.,  Bedford,  Ind.,  Farmer. 

Pace,  Frank,  Bedford,  Ind.,  Engineer. 

Palmateer,  Wilber,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Moulder. 

Rapp,  Frank  H.,  Otis,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Reynolds,  Ray,  Westville,  Ind..  Carpenter. 

Rittenour,  William  L.,  Union  Mills,  Ind..  Farmer. 

Romepagle,  Albert  C..  Laporte,  Ind.,  Painter. 

Shaw,  Charles  F.,  Westville.  Ind.,  Laborer. 

Sheffer,  Charles  E.,  Laporte,  Ind.,  Laborer. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  403 

Smith,  Clarence,  Seafield,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Smith,  William  F. ,  Seafield,  Ind.,  Farmer. 
Swan,  Benjamin,  Lake  Station,  Ind.,  Plasterer. 
Waggoner,  George,  Laporte,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Watkins,  Edward  W.,  Crawfordsville,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Will,  Ernest,  Michigan  Citv,  Ind.,  Barber. 
Wirth,  Herman  T.,  Waterford,  Ind.,  Laborer. 
Yotingblooth,  Edmund,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  Laborer. 
Zuelke,  August,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Laborer. 

LATER    ENLISTMENTS. 

Browne,  Roy  W.,  New  Castle,  Ind.,  Drum  Major,  transferred 

from  band  Jan.  1,  18911. 
Carter,  Howard,  Epsom,  Ind.,  Student,  transferred  from  159th 

Ind.,  Nov.  28,  18 W. 
Duree,  William  C.,  Br  gton,  Ind.,    Paper   hanger,   transferred 

from  159th  Ind.,  Nov.  28,  1898. 
Murphy,  George  H  ,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Potter,  transferred  from 

159i h  Ind.,  Nov.  28,  1898. 
McClintock,  HarrieC.,  Buffalo,  N.    V.,    Locomotive  fireman, 

enlisted  Dec.  6,  18(.'S,  at  Savannah,  Ga. 
Schwaner,   Robert   T.,    Evansville.    Ind.,    Clerk,    transferred 

from  159th  Ind.,  Nov.  28,  1898. 
Willis,  William  G.,  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Paper  Hanger,  enlisted 

Dec.  10,  1898,  at  Savannah,  Ga. 

DISCHARGED    FOR    DISABILITY    AND    OTHER    CAUSES. 

Bloomhuff,   John    L.,    Union     Mills,     Ind.,    Carpenter,    Aug. 

22,  1898. 
Bonadore,  Martin,  Three   Oaks,    Mich.,  Farmer,    January  8, 

1899. 

Bowen,  George,  Still  well,  Ind.,  Farmer,  Mar-h  20,  1899. 
Clark,  Guy  O.,  Union  Mills,  Ind.,  Tinner,  March  10,1899. 
Durbin,  Sheldon  M.,  Michigan    City,  Ind.,  Laborer,  Nov.  21, 

1898. 

Faris,  William  A.,  Fariston,  Ky.,  Quarryman,  Jan.  30,  1899. 
Felio,  James  E.,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Sailor,  Nov.  3.  1898. 
Hamilton,  Leroy,  WestviHe,  Ind.,  Laborer,  April  4.  1899. 


4O4  HISTORY    OF    THE 

Hittle,  Benjamin  F.,  Indianapolis,  Inch,   Decorator,    Dec.  22, 

1898. 

Hunt,   James  E.,  Rolling  Prairie,  Ind.,  Farmer,  March  6,  1809. 
Lettan,  Edward  C.,  Michigan    City,  Ind.,  Laborer,    Feb.    14, 

1899. 

Long,  William,  Hobbyville,  Ind.,  Quarryman,  March  25,  1899. 
Maddox,  John  A.,  Bedford,  Ind.,  S  onemason,  Jan.  30,  1899. 
Massengill,  James,  Bedford,  Lnd.,  Laborer,  Jan.  25,  1899. 
McMillan,  George  VV.,  Union  Mills,  Ind.,    Farmer,  March   6, 

1899. 

Parkhurst,  Curtis,  Hamilton,   Mich.,    Farmer,   Feb.    27,    1899. 
Robe,  Daniel,  Galien,  Mich.,  Laborer,  Jan.  81,  1899. 
Spitzmesser,    Nicholas    B.,     Greensburg,    Ind.,    Bookkeeper, 

Sept.  23,  1898. 
Young,  Jacob  W.,  Bedford,  Ind.,  Quarryman,    Jan.  18,  1899. 

TRANSFERRED. 

Leland,  Charles  M.,  Serg't,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Painter,  to 
Regimental  band  as  band  hergeant  Jan.  9,  1899. 

Johanm,  Frank,  Corp.,  Union  Center,  Ind.,  Farmer,  to  Hos- 
pital Corps,  Aug.  23,  189S. 

Jones,  John  G.  B.,  Laporte,  Ind.,  Student,  to  Hospital  Corps, 
Aug.  23,  1898. 

Meissner,  August,  Laporte,  Ind.,  Druggist,  to  Regimental 
Band,  Aug.  23,  1898. 

Paxton,  George,  Jr.,  Michigan  City,  Ind.,  Clerk,  to  Regi- 
mental Bund,  Aug.  23,  1898. 

Reinhart,  Walter  W.,  Laporte,  Ind.,  Laborer,  to  Regimental 
Band,  Aug.  23,  1898. 


Lelter,  Charles  E.,  Gilboa,  Ohio,   Blacksmith,    Oct.    17,  1898, 
in  hospital  at  Jacksonville,  Fla. 

DESERTED. 

Jones,  William   D.,  Three   Oaks,   Mich.,    Laborer,    Oct.    16, 
1898,  at  Jacksonville,  Fla. 


MEDICAL  DEPARTMENT 


CO 


u 

£ 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  407 

WICKLIFF  SMITH 

Major  Wickliff  Smith  is  a  self-made  man;  the  fine  re- 
putation he  has  sustained  as  a  physician  and  surgeon  has 
been  acquired  by  the  greatest  perseverance,  under  most 
adverse  circumstances.  He  was  born  November  24,  1851, 
in  Marion  county,  among  the  hills  of  West  Virginia. 
His  parents  were  well-to-do  farmers  and  the  young  man 
began  life's  struggle  with  the  grain  of  his  makeup  straight- 
ened and  tempered  by  that  training  so  peculiar  to  such 
environment.  His  early  education  was  received  in  the 
country  schools  and  later,  in  Jefferson  College,  Waynes- 
burg,  Pennsylvania.  After  his  literary  course  he  returned 
once  more  to  the  farm  and  here  in  the  midst  of  his 
work  spent  his  spare  time  in  the  study  of  medicine. 
His  father's  estate  had  been  lost  during  the  war,  sickness 
laid  hold  upon  them  and  the  young  man  was  facing  the 
future  with  an  extra  heavy  burden  to  bear.  He  succeeded 
in  entering  the  Cincinnati  Medical  College  in  1871, 
graduating  three  years  later.  After  a  very  brief  practice 
in  Calida,  Ohio,  he  went  to  Delphi,  Indiana,  where  he 
has  since  resided,  with  a  practice  that  has  steadily  grown 
until  the  demand  upon  his  time  was  greater  than  he  could 
meet.  He  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  people  of  his 
place,  and  considered  an  authority  in  medical  science  the 
state  over.  To  his  careful  attention  to  details  of  camp 
cleanliness  and  other  sanitary  conditions  is  due  much  of  the 
healthfulness  which  has  attended  the  regiment  in  which  he 
served  as  surgeon.  No  man  v. as  more  popular  in  the  regi 
ment  than  Major  Smith,  and  his  brave  deportment  in  the 
threatened  smallpox  plague  gained  for  him  the  admiration 
of  every  soldier  that  knew  him.  He  will  return  to  Delphi 
when  mustered  out. 


408 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


MILLARD   F.    GERRISH. 

First  Lieutenant  and  Assistant  Surgeon  Millard  F. 
Gerrish  was  born  at  Paris,  Jennings  county,  Indiana,  Feb- 
ruary 27,  1856.  His  father  was  a  suigeon  in  the  Sixty- 


FIRST  LIEUTENANT  MILLARD  i< .   GERRISH. 

seventh  Indiana  during  the  Civil  war.  After  finishing  his 
preparatory  studies,  he  entered  the  medical  department  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  where  he  graduated  in  and 
began  the  practice  of  his  profession. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  409 

He  sacrificed  a  large  practice  to  enter  the  volunteer 
service,  and  was  commissioned  first  lieutenant  and  assist- 
ant surgeon,  in  June.  Twice  during  the  absence  of  the 
major-surgeon,  October  5-15,  he  became  acting  surgeon  in 
charge,  and  was  found  at  all  times  faithful  to  his  important 
commission,  and  to  his  untiring  service  must  be  credited 
much  of  the  excellent  heilth  of  his  reg'msnt. 

Lieutanents  Gerrish  and  Wilson  were  appointed  as 
medical  examiners  for  the  Fourth  Virginia  and  Forty-ninth 
Iowa,  on  occasion  of  their  preperation  for  muster  out. 


JAMES  WILSON. 

James  Wilson,  first  lieutenant  and  assistant  surgeon, 
was  born  at  Wabash,  Indiana,  in  1865,  November  15.  He 
was  educated  in  Greencastle,  Indiana,  at  DePauw  Univer- 
sity, after  which  he  entered  the  University  of  Michigan,  at 
Ann  Arbor,  from  which  institution  he  graduated  in  1888. 
He  repaired  at  once  to  New  York  city  and  entered  Belle- 
view  Medical  College,  graduation  from  medical  course  in 
1890.  His  professional  studies  being  finished  he  engaged 
in  practice  of  medicine  in  th2  city  of  his  birth.  Upon  the 
second  call  for  troops,  he  offered  himself  to  the  governor 
for  service  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  mustered  in  as  assistant  sur- 
geon with  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant  in  June.  On  August 
26,  he  was  detached  from  regiment  and  placed  in  charge  of 
one  of  the  wards  of  the  Third  Division  hospital,  at  Jackson- 
ville, from  which  position  he  was  reluctantly  released  on 
October  24,  to  rejoin  his  regiment,  which  was  then  start- 
ing for  Savannah,  Georgia. 


4io 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


FIRST  LIEUTENANT  JAMES  WILSON. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  MEDICAL  DEPARTMENT. 

This  department  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first 
Indiana  as  organized  in  the  beginning  consisted  of  Surgeon- 
Major  Wickliff  Smith,  of  Delphi,  Assistant  Surgeon  Lieu- 
tenants Millard  F.  Gerrish,  of  Seymour,  and  James  Wilson, 
of  Wabash,  all  eminent  physicians  of  the  state  who  were 
selected  by  the  governor^on  account  of  their  high  profes- 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  4!  I 

sional  standing,  and  Hospital  Stewards  William  H.  Rath- 
ert,  druggist  and  medical  student  of  Indianapolis;  Jas. 
G.  Espey,  druggist  and  medical  student  of  Rising  Sun,  In- 
diana, and  John  I.  Lewis,  recent  graduate  physician  of 
Bedford.  A  regiment  could  hardly  ha-ve  had  a  better 
equipment  of  men  in  the  medical  department.  When  the 
regiment  was  first  mustered  in  at  the  state  fair  grounds  it 
was  thought  unnecessary  to  organize  a  field  hospital  for 
the  large  healthy  men  then  in  camp  and  all  cases  were 
treated  at  their  quarters  for  the  first  few  weeks.  But  the 
surgeons  had  not  much  more  than  gotten  through  with 
their  duties  of  finishing  the  mustering  papers  when  they 
found  a  sick  call  of  sufficient  magnitude  to  preclude  much 
idleness  on  their  part  and  on  the  6th  of  August  a  hospital 
was  started  in  the'upper  story  of  the  administration  build- 
ing. The  quarters  were  very  pleasant,  being  commodious 
and  airy.  Private  Horace  Lucas,  of  Company  A,  an  ex- 
perienced nurse,  and  Doctor  Jones,  then  a  private  of  Com- 
pany H,  were  detailed  to  nurse  and  prepare  the  diet.  Some 
cots,  an  old  cook  stove,  tables  and  some  other  useful  arti- 
cles, property  of  the  state  militia,  were  pressed  into  serv- 
ice, and  these,  with  some  cooking  utensils  purchased  out  of 
a  fund  placed  at  our  disposal  by  Colonel  Durbin  and  Major 
Smith,  made  up  our  first  equipments.  Out  of  this  same 
fund  a  few  delicacies  and  a  daily  supply  of  milk  were  pur- 
chased, but  when  once  started  the  good  ladies  of  Indianap- 
olis made  donations  of  good  things  to  eat  and  bed  linen 
that  had  the  regiment  remained  at  this  camp  very  much 
longer  the  hospital  would  have  had  a  stock  of  provisions 
sufficient  to  supply  a  dozen  such  institutions. 

Three  patients  were  received  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
6th.  Other  cases  soon  followed  until  the  records  would 
show  from  ten  to  fifteen  in  the  hospital  each  day.  The 
morning  reports  would  show  about  an  average  of  forty  or 


412  HISTORY    OF    THE 

fifty  answering  sick  call.  This  did  not  include  many  who 
were  taking  medicine  for  minor  causes  and  not  going  on 
the  sick  book.  The  sickness  was  due  principally  to  ma- 
larial infection,  being  fever,  diarrhea,  etc.,  predisposed  by 
the  changes  always  incident  to  camp  life. 

While  camp  life  was  new  to  the  men,  they  failed  to 
realize  to  any  great  extent  that  it  was  necessary  to  exer- 
cise some  precautions  in  the  care  of  their  health;  that  a 
few  mild  chills  in  Indiana  might  be  the  cause  for  protracted 
malarial  fever  in  the  tropical  country,  or  that  a  disordered 
stomach  predisposed  to  a  prolonged  attack  of  camp 
diarrhoea.  Thus  it  was  that  when  we  left  Camp  Mount, 
although  considered  a  healthy  regiment,  the  men  really 
had  not  the  physical  stamina  they  had  when  they  came 
into  camp  six  weeks  before.  On  breaking  camp  about  half 
of  the  patients  in  the  hospital  were  furloughed  home,  the 
balance  taken  along,  as  they  were  so  desirous  of  staying 
with  the  regiment,  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
refuse  to  take  them.  Just  before  starting  the  first  dis- 
charge in  the  regiment  was  granted  to  Corporal  William 
Gilbert  on  the  ground  of  disability.  Not  being  of  strong 
constitution,  the  six  weeks  of  camp  life  had  been  too  rough 
for  him  and  the  surgeons  decided  he  was  unfitted  for  further 
military  service.  On  arrival  at  Panama  Park,  Florida,  on 
the  bright  Sunday  morning  of  August  I4th,  only  three  men 
were  willing  to  be  admitted  to  the  hospital,  the  others 
being  so  benefited  and  buoyed  up  by  the  trip  and  changes 
manifest  everywhere  about  -them  that,  although  some  had 
fever,  they  were  desirous  of  keeping  out  of  the  hospital. 
Each  case  had  received  close  attention  during  the  trip, 
there  being  a  surgeon  aboard  each  section  of  the  train. 
When  the  regiment  first  went  into  camp  here  it  was  the 
order  from  corps  headquarters  to  have  a  regimental  hospi- 
tal to  hold  the  patients  for  not  longer  than  three  days  to 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  413 

determine  the  gravity  of  the  ailment,  after  which  the  pa- 
tient was  to  be  sent  to  the  division  hospital  or  returned  to 
quarters  as  the  seriousness  of  the  case  would  indicate.  This 
was  not  a  very  practical  rule,  to  say  the  least,  and  was  not 
followed  closely  by  any  of  the  regiments  in  the  corps, 
possibly  on  account  of  the  lack  of  the  facilities  at  the  di- 
vision hospital  at  the  time  for  the  care  of  the  sick.  As  for 
our  own  regiment,  Major  Smith  insisted  that  he  preferred 
keeping  the  sick  under  the  direct  observation  of  himself 
and  the  assistant  surgeons.  However,  a  close  supervision 
was  kept  of  the  cases  and  any  one  that  bid  fair  to  be  pro- 
tracted fora  length  of  time  was  transferred  to  the  Division 
hospital. 

According  to  general  order  No.  58,  of  the  war  depart- 
ment, a  limited  number  of  enlisted  men  of  the  volunteer 
service  were  given  an  opportunity  to  be  transferred  to  the 
hospital  corps  of  the  United  States  Army.  The  Third 
Division  hospital  at  the  time  of  arrival  of  the  regiment  at 
Panama  Park  had  just  been  started,  and  the  demands  on 
the  accommodations  of  the  same  by  reason  of  a  heavy  per 
cent,  of  sickness  in  some  of  the  other  regiments,  made  it 
necessary  for  us  to  furnish  our  quota  of  men  to  act  as 
nurses  within  a  few  days  after  our  arrival.  At  their  own 
request  the  following  men  were  transferred:  Company  A, 
Horace  Lucas,  Jean  Crandall,  Andrew  Larson,  S.  Byerly, 
Harry  C.  Kimball;  Company  B,  Burle  Turner  and  Edward 
Walter;  Company  D,  Wesley  Dall,  Michael  Logan,  Marcus 
Renfrew;  Company  E,  John  Griffith,  Jesse  Dunhan;  Com- 
pany F,  Granville  Williams,  William  Prifogle,  Sylvester 
Wright;  Company  G,  J.  Morris  Leech,  John  Dolan,  Will- 
iam T.  Engel,  Alonzo  Allen;  Company  H,  Leven  Wallace, 
Clarence  Heaton;  Company  I,  Jacob  W.  Dexter,  Franklin 
G.  Scott;  Company  K,  John  Romain,  James  Keith,  Harry 
McCoy,  Fred  Rowell;  Company  L,  J.  G.  B.  Jones,  T. 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


Johanna;  Company  M,  John  Cox,  Ernest  Bales.  These 
men  when  transferred  would  draw  the  increased  pay  of 
$21.60  per  month.  Lucas  was  soon  made  acting  steward. 
Walters  and  Griffith  were  immediately  detailed  back  to  the 
regiment,  Walters  as  orderly  to  Major  Smith,  and  Griffith 
as  hostler,  which  positions  they  held  until  exchanged,  April 
30,  1899.  Not  many  good  things  can  be  said  of  the  hos- 
pital at  Camp  Cuba  Libre,  nor  are  many  pleasant  memories 
stored  away  by  those  connected  with  it  during  the  long 
dreadful  siege  of  malaria  that  followed.  The  first  hospital 
was  erected  on  the  second  day  after  arrival,  and  consisted 
of  a  tent,  14  x  16,  furnished  with  two  bales  of  hay  for  beds, 
and  for  four  weeks  of  rainy  weather  was  without  a  floor, 
due  (is  it  to  be  presumed)  to  the  scarcity  of  lumber  in  that 
region  of  pine  forests?  No  provisions  were  made  for  feed- 
ing the  sick,  other  than  from  their  regular  rations,  which 
had  already  become  repulsive  to  their  weak  stomachs. 
Milk  was  hard  to  get  in  that  barren  country,  as  well  as  ice, 
another  very  desirable  article  for  the  sick;  but  it  was  not 
long  until  the  Red  Cross  Society  came  to  our  assistance 
with  ice  each  day.  A  short  time  afterward  the  society  pre- 
sented the  hospital  with  a  large  chest,  which  proved  very 
useful.  Getting  the  floor  seemed  to  be  a  good  starter,  for 
in  a  few  days  Colonel  Durbin  ordered  a  lot  of  matresses 
dropped  at  the  door;  the  hay  was  discarded  and  the 
patients  put  on  real  beds.  Eighteen  cots  were  next 
secured  from  the  medical  supply  house.  About  this  time 
a  nice  lot  of  bed  linens,  night  shirts  and  towels  were 
received  from  the  ladies  of  Monticello,  Indiana,  and  also 
jellies,  canned  fruit  and  fruit  juices  were  received  from  the 
Woman's  Relief  Corps,  of  Indianapolis,  which  had  been 
collected  from  different  parts  throughout  the  state.  Soon 
after  a  very  large  box,  containing  new  sheets,  feather  pil- 
lows, pillow  cases  and  towels,  was  sent  direct  from  the 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  415 

Pettis  Dry  Goods  Company,  of  Indianapolis,  by  these  same 
Woman's  Relief  Corps  ladies.  These  articles  and  the 
foods  were  doubly  appreciated,  on  account  of  coming  in  a 
time  when  so  sorely  needed.  The  culinary  department 
also  began  to  receive  some  attention.  A  stove  was  found 
and  a  few  dishes  and  the  mess  and  food  chest,  drawn  from 
the  medical  supply  depot,  fitted  up  a  very  respectable  kitchen. 
On  the  I4th  of  September,  Louis  C.  Benica  was  detailed 
as  cook,  and  remained  with  the  kitchen  as  long  as  the 
hospital  existed.  For  the  first  ten  days  after  our  arrival  at 
Camp)  Cuba  Libre  the  sick  call  was  somewhat  lighter  than 
at  Camp  Mount,  but  the  frequent  showers  and  hot  sun  soon 
got  in  their  work,  and  the  line  that  filed  up  to  the  dispen- 
sary behind  the  sergeant  in  charge  each  morning  became  a 
little  longer.  The  happy,  enthusiastic  boys  of  a  fortnight 
before  were  becoming  a  listless  and  forlorn -looking  crowd, 
their  systems  loaded  down  with  malarial  poison.  It  would 
be  impossible  for  pen  to  describe  the  suffering  these  men 
passed  through  in  getting  acclimated  to  the  sunny  south. 
On  September  4th  the  regiment  was  shocked  by  the 
first  death,  that  of  Earnest  R.  Pullman,  of  Company  A,  who 
dove  off  of  a  railroad  trestle  into  the  shallow  water  of  Trout 
Creek  striking  his  head  on  the  bottom.  After  being  rescued 
by  his  comrades  and  brought  to  camp  it  was  found  that  he 
had  broken  his  spine  just  below  the  shoulders.  He  lived 
only  thirty  hours  after  receiving  the  injury.  Steward  Lewis 
was  admitted  to  the  hospital  the  latter  part  of  August  with 
a  temperature  of  103°.  It  was  thought  his  illness  was  only 
temporary,  but  in  a  few  days  complications  arose  and  he 
was  sent  to  the  division  hospital,  where  it  was  hoped  that 
better  care  and  food  would  cause  him  to  rally  but  he  failed 
to  improve  and  died  the  8th  of  September.  His  loss  was 
deeply  regretted  by  his  host  of  friends  in  the  regiment  and 
those  at  home.  Dr.  George  B.  Jones  was  chosen  steward 


416  HISTORY    OF    THE 

in  his  place.  Just  about  this  time  Steward  Espey  was 
taken  sick  and  Geo.  W.  Twomey,  of  Company  E,  a  med- 
ical student,  was  detailed  to  the  hospital,  where  he  remained 
until  the  regiment  landed  in  Cuba.  In  September  Ralph 
H.  Kenner,  of  Company  H,  was  detailed  as  drug  clerk  and 
with  the  exception  of  nine  days  that  he  was  sick  you  would 
have  found  him  at  his  post  day  and  night.  Kenner  was  a 
most  faithful  clerk  and  was  kept  very  busy  filling,  while  at 
Cuba  Libre,  two  and  three  hundred  prescriptions  per  day. 
Not  all  the  boys  had  implicit  faith  in  the  remedies  pre- 
scribed, partly  perhaps  because  the  drugs  did  not  have  the 
same  effect  they  would  have  had  under  different  surround- 
ings and  in  another  climate,  consequently  quite  an  amount 
of  malarial  specific  was  disposed  of  in  a  way  not  intended 
by  the  prescriber.  In  one  instance  pills  and  powders  enough 
to  fill  a  quart  cup  were  found  under  the  bunk  of  a  young 
man  who  .had  been  furloughed  home.  He  had  been  an- 
swering sick  call  for  quite  a  while  and  had  disposed  of  his 
medicine  in  this  way  instead  of  swallowing  it. 

In  the  latter  part  of  September,  the  service  of  a  lady 
nurse,  Miss  Mollie  Ward,  was  secured,  which  was  a  great 
advantage  to  the  hospital  and  an  improved  appearance  was 
most  apparent. after  a.  few  days  in  care  of  Miss  Ward.  She 
was  a  sister  of  Lieutenant  Ward,  of  Company  I,  and  a 
graduate  of  the  Chicago  Training  School.  About  this  time 
a  new  bath  house  was  built  and  it  was  at  this  time  that  an 
effort  was  being  put  forth  to  secure  the  allowance  of  sixty 
cents  per  day  granted  by  the  government  to  each  patient 
in  the  hospital.  This  was  not  secured,  however,  until  a 
month  later  and  the  hospital  had  to  depend  on  money 
secured  from  friends  for  means  to  pay  the  laundry  bills  and 
buy  milk  for  the  patients,  there  being  ten  gallons  used 
daily.  On  October  ist,  Hospital  Steward  Espey  started  for 
his  home  in  Indiana,  more  dead  than  alive,  where  after  a 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


417 


lingering  illness  he  recovered,  but  applied  for  his  discharge, 
which  was  granted  without  returning  to  the  regiment.  On 
October  iSth,  Major  Smith  was  taken  sick  and  removed  to 


JAMES  G.    ESPEY. 

a  hotel  in  Jacksonville,  and  three  days  later  started  for  his 
home  in  Indiana  on  a  thirty  days'  sick  leave.  Lieutenant 
Gerrish  was  now  placed  in  charge  of  the  medical  depart- 
ment and  Lieutenant  Wilson,  who  had  been  detailed  to  the 
Third  Division  hospital,  was  returned  to  the  regiment.  It 
had  required  a  detail  of  two  men  from  the  regiment  all  the 
time  as  nurses  and  although  inexperienced  these  men  were 
always  faithful  and  did  their  duty  as  best  they  could; 
they  received  no  extra  pay  but  they  will  be  most  gratefully 
remembered  by  those  who  were  recipients  of  their  kindness. 
Those  who  were  regularly  detailed  and  remained  for  a 
length  of  time  were:  Marshall  D.  Dickey,  Company  F; 
Charles  Best,  Company  I;  Samuel  J.  Weaver,  Company 
F,  at  Jacksonville,  Savannah  and  in  Cuba;  John  Myers, 
Company  E;  John  W.  Wilson,  Company  G;  Charles  Nash, 

27  * 


41 8  HISTORY    OF   THE 

Company  G;  Henry  Spencer,  Company  M.  On  the  night 
of  October  ist,  began  a  rain  which  ended  in  a  wind  storm 
lasting  all  next  day  that  will  always  be  remembered.  The 
hospital  was  only  saved  by  being  tied  down  and  even  as 
it  was  the  bedding  got  soaked  and  a  large  quantity  of  the 
drugs  destroyed.  After  this  storm  jaundice  seemed  to 
increase  and  the  men  began  to  look  more  like  a  race  of 
Mongolians  than  Americans. 

Up  to  this  time  only  one  death  had  occurred  in  the 
regimental  hospital,  Fred  Shrceder,  of  Company  A,  who  died 
very  suddenly  on  October  14  of  a  hemorrhage  of  the  bowels 
during  an  attack  of  typhoid  fever.  On  October  22  the 
patients  remaining  in  the  regimental  hospital,  some  fifty  or 
sixty  in  number,  were  removed  to  the  Third  Division  hos- 
pital preparatory  to  our  leaving  for  Savannah  the  next  day. 
Some  of  these  poor  fellows  never  lived  to  join  the  regi- 
ment. Others  were  furloughed  home  and  granted  dis- 
charges. Few  came  back.  Sixty-four  was  the  highest 
number  in  the  regimental  hospital  at  one  time,  and  when 
the  regiment  left  for  Savannah  there  was  hardly  a  person 
who  had  not  suffered  from  some  form  of  malaria.  On  Oc- 
tober 16  a  large  wooden  building  that  would  accommodate 
fifty  or  more  patients  was  completed  and  ready  for  use. 
This  came  too  late  to  be  of  much  service. 

S'AVANNAH. 

The  camp  at  Savannah  was  quite  a  contrast  to  the  one 
we  had  just  left  and  the  hospital  was  very  poorly  patron- 
ized. Some  thirty  cases  of  measles  broke  out,  but  these 
were  sent  to  the  division  hospital,  and  deaths  occurred  as  fol- 
lows: William  G.  Weaver,  Company  I,  fever;  Joseph  F. 
Turner,  Company  I,  measles.  Just  before  leaving  for  Cuba 
the  following  privates  from  the  hospital  corps,  United  States 
Army,  were  transferred  to  this  regiment  for  duty  at  regimental 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  419 

hospital:  Morris  F.  Leech,  Jacob  W.  Dexter,  Franklin 
Scott  and  John  Cox,  who  were  among  those  originally 
transferred  from  this  regiment  to  United  States  hospital 
corps.  These  having  had  six  months  experience  in  the 
division  hospital,  and  the  hospital  funds  now  being  granted 
made  the  hospital  able  to  take  care  of  the  sick  much  better 
than  ever  before. 

CUBA. 

When  we  arrived  in  Cuba  there  was  but  one  ambu- 
lance load  of  sick.  These  were  mostly  measles  and  all 
able  to  sit  up.  The  eight-mile  march  to  Marianao, 
although  hot  and  dusty,  had  no  bad  effect  on  the  men,  but 
rather  served  as  a  means  of  relief  after  having  been  penned 
up  on  board  the  transport  for  four  days.  After  shifting 
the  tents  around  from  place  to  place  for  a  few  days,  a 
location  was  at  last  found  on  a  nice  grassy  spot  about  one, 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  regiment.  The  nurses  had  just 
gotten  rid  of  all  the  cases  of  measles  and  were  preparing 
to  have  an  easy  time  when  a  worse  woe  overtook  them. 
A  case  of  smallpox  broke  out  in  the  hospital,  December 
27,  Fred  Imes,  of  Company  I,  being  the  patient.  None 
of  the  corps  had  ever  had  this  disease  and  none  were  fool- 
hardy enough  to  run  into  it;  but  since  it  was  their  duty  to 
take  care  of  this  case,  and  having  been  already  exposed, 
no  one  even  intimated  that  he  was  unwilling  to  do  his  duty. 
The  hospital  was  immediately  put  under  quarantine.  It 
was  necessary  for  some  one  to  take  the  patient  to  an  iso- 
lated tent,  two  hundred  yards  away,  and  live  there  the  life 
of  a  hermit  until  the  case  terminated.  Franklin  Scott, 
a  personal  friend  of  Imes,  volunteered  to  go  and  nurse  him, 
as  brave  an  act  as  a  soldier  ever  did.  The  Imes  case  not 
being  a  bad  one,  he  was  back  in  his  company  at  the  end 
of  nine  weeks.  The  next  two  cases  were  Jacob  Dexter,  of 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  421 

Company  I,'  a. night  nurse,  and  Andrew  Graham,  of  Company 
D,  who  was  just  convalescing  from  measles  when  Imes  was 
brought  in.  Dexter  took  on  the  hemorrhagic  form  and 
died  in  less  than  a  week.  Graham,  on  whom  the  eruption 
appeared  almost  solid,  lived  a  week  longer. 

Every  thing  was  favorable  to  good  health  as  could  be 
anywhere,  and,  aside  from  the  sore  arms,  not  many  men 
were  excused  from  duty.  A  pleasant  northeaster  almost 
incessantly  blowing  Across  the  isle.  To  the  hospital  corps 
and  attaches  the  time  is  one  long  to  be  remembered.  To 
Major  Smith  they  are  indebted^for  many  pleasures  that  the 
hospital  corps  of  other  regiments  did  not  have.  It  was  due 
to  his  kindness  that  they  were  permitted  to  have  an  ambu- 
lance to  go  to  the  sea-shore  twice  a  week  as  well  as  to  take 
an  occasional  trip  to  the  surrounding  country.  Marshall 
Dickey,  of  Company  "  F,"  was  the  third  case  to  be  admit- 
ted. His  proved  to  be  a  mild  attack^of  veriloid,  however, 
and  he  soon  recovered.  He  was  then  utilized  to  assist  in 
nursing  the  others.  John  Werner,  of  Company  "A,  "who 
had  the  small-pox  some  years  before,  volunteered  his  serv- 
ices as  nurse  also,  which  were  gladly  accepted.  Scott  had 
a  very  severe  attack  of  the  disease;  for  a  time  his  life  was 
despaired  of  but  he  finally  recovered  at  the  end  of  two 
months.  Everything  that  could  be  procured  for  the  com- 
fort of  these  patients  was  ordered  by  Major  Smith,  such  as 
milk  at  twenty-five  cents  per  quart,  butter  at  fifty  cents 
per  pound,  eggs  at  forty  cents  per  dozen  and  canned  deli- 
cacies regardless  of  cost.  The  major  was  equally  as  care- 
ful of  his  patients  in  every  way,  visiting  them  two  or  three 
times  a  day  and  seeing  to  their  burial.  The  major  had  had 
some  experience  with  this  disease  and  he  was  very  success- 
ful in  preventing  its  spread  through  the  regiment.  Vacci- 
nation was  begun  immediately  on  the  appearance  of  the 
first  case,  but  the  virus  proved  to  be  inert.  Good  virus 


422  HISTORY    OF    THE 

was  procured  as  soon  as  possible;  and  the  whole  regiment 
vaccinated.  Some  arms  that  were  produced  were  a  sight 
to  behold.  For  some  reason  the  vaccine  and  small  pox 
seemed  to  be  of  especial  virulent  type.  While  the  hospital 
was  under  quarantine  Chas.  Trimble,  of  Company  "  F," 
died  at  the  Second  Division  hospital  of  malarial  cacxia. 
The  boy  had  never  recovered  from  a  long  siege  of  malarial 
fever  at  Jacksonville  and  had  not  the  constitution  to  with- 
stand further  hardships.  The  quarantine  was  raised  and 
the  hospital  moved  up  by  the  camp  on  February  3rd.  The 
hospital  was  in  its  new  location  but  a  few  days  when 
Andrew  Gould,  of  Company  M,  was  admitted  for  malarial 
fever;  shortly  symptoms  of  small  pox  began  to  appear  and 
he  was  immediately  placed  in  a  detention  tent.  In  two 
more  days  the  disease  was  fully  manifest  and  he  was 
removed  to  the  Second  Division  hospital.  In  ten  days 
more  we  heard  the  sad  news  of  his  death.  The  loss  of  all 
these  cases  was  felt  much  heavier  on  account  of  their  being 
young  men  somewhat  above  the  average  in  morals  and 
intelligence.  It  was  sad  indeed  to  see  those  brave  boys  so 
full  of  vigor,  stricken  in  a  foreign  land  so  far  from  home 
and  loved  ones.  Comrades  have  sodded  their  graves  with 
green  and  placed  a  carved  stone  at  the  head  of  each.  And 
in  after  years  when  all  their  comrades  have  passed  away 
we  know  that  a  grateful  country  will  protect  that  lonely 
spot,  hallowed  by  their  dust  and  keep  those  graves  for- 
ever green. 

The  day  before  leaving  for  America  the  patients  in  the 
regimental  hospital  were  returned  to  quarters  and  on  the 
next  day  all  were  able  to  go  aboard  the  transport;  six  men 
who  were  in  the  division  hospital  were  all  that  were  left 
behind.  On  arrival  at  Savannah,  Georgia,  the  hospital  was 
broken  up;  all  cases  requiring  more  care  than  could  be 
afforded  them  in  quarters  were  sent  to  the  military  hospital 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  423 

in  the  city  of  Savannah.  Some  four  or  five  cases  were  all 
that  required  removal.  The  cases  in  the  Second  Division 
hospital  were  brought  over  from  Cuba  just  before  the  regi- 
ment was  mustered  out,  all  convalescent.  On  looking  back 
over  the  eight  months  of  hospital  experience  in  the  field, 
one  of  the  striking  features  is  the  lack  of  the  variety  of 
diseases,  the  overwhelming  majority  of  cases  being  due  to 
malarial  infection;  few  cases  of  typhoid  fever  are  recorded 
and  but  one  case  of  pneumonia,  that  one  a  complication  of 
measles.  The  twenty  deaths  that  occurred  is  not  a  great 
mortality  but  the  effects  of  the  poisonous  miasma  of  Florida 
will  be  in  greater  evidence  in  the  broken  constitution  of 
many  a  survivor  in  after  years. 


REGIMENTAL   BAND 


426 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


ERNEST   S.    WILLIAMS. 

Mr.  Ernest  S.  Williams,  chief  musician,  was  appointed 
to  his  position  December  3,  1898.  He  is  the  son 
of  S.  E.  Williams,  one  of  the  foremost  musicians  of  the 
state,  and  was  born  at  Fountain  City,  Indiana,  on  the  27th 


ERNEST  S.   WILLIAMS. 

day  of  September,  1881.  He  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Winchester,  Indiana,  but  at  a  very  early  age  it 
became  apparent  that  he  was,  by  his  natural  gifts,  fitted 
above  everything  else  for  the  musical  profession.  At  the 
early  age  of  seven,  under  the  direction  of  his  father,  he 
began  the  study  of  the  rudiments  and  the  practice  of  the 
cornet.  Mr.  Williams  has  had  connection  with  the  leading 
bands  of  the  state,  and  since  his  appointment  as  chief 


428  HISTORY    OF    THE 

musician  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Indiana  he 
has  proven  efficient  and  acceptable  in  every  particular, 
bringing  the  band  to  a  recognized  position  as  one  of  the 
very  best  of  the  Seventh  Army  Corps.  One  of  Mr. 
Williams'  latest  and  best  compositions  is  the  "March 
of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first,"  which  he  has  just 
published  and  dedicated  to  the  members  of  that  regiment. 


MEMBERS. 

Warren,  Bronson,  baritone. 

Byers,  John,  snare  drum. 

Braselton,  E.  K.,  solo  alto. 

Coffey,  Albert,  fourth  alto. 

Darnell,  Charles,  slide  trombone. 

Dumenil,  Ellsworth,  slide  trombone. 

Hammock,  John,  first  B-flat  cornet. 

Harris,  W.  S. ,  first  clarinet. 

Hoar,  John,  bass  drum. 

Hay,  G.  C. ,  solo  cornet. 

Huffman,  Ed.,  tenor  trombone. 

Jakes,  David,  second  clarinet. 

Lance,  Ed.,  third  alto. 

Lunow,  Martin,  slide  trombone. 

McCloud,  John,  E-flat  clarinet. 

Meissner,  A.  C.,  E-flat  bass. 

Reinhart,  Walter,  second  B-flat  cornet. 

Paxton,  George,  piccolo. 

Rucker,  H.  V.,  E-flat  bass. 

Walker,  Fred,  baritone. 

Williams,  E.  S.,  solo  cornet. 

Webb,  M.  S.,  second  alto. 

Leland,  Charles,  drum-major. 

Cocker,  Joe,  cook. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  429 

< 

ORGANIZATION. 

Shortly  after  the  formation  of  the  regiment  at  Camp 
Mount,  the  proper  steps  were  taken  preparatory  to  the 
regimental  musical  organization.  A  careful  search  through 
the  different  companies  brought  forth  several  fair  musicians 
and  they  at  once  secured  instruments,  some  owning  their 
own,  and  some  using  instruments  rented  by  the  officers 
from  dealers  in  the  city;  during  the  remainder  of  the  month 
of  July  and  up  to  August  12  the  boys  lent  their  efforts 
toward  furnishing  band  music  for  the  regiment  and  visitors. 
Upon  leaving  Indianapolis  for  Jacksonville,  the  rented 
instruments  were  returned,  and  those  who  owned  them 
shipped  theirs  home.  After  Mr.  Beck,  of  Columbus,  Indi- 
ana, after  several  other  conclusions,  concluded  that  the 
sand  of  Florida  would  certainly  destroy  his  already  fail- 
ing eyesight,  Mr.  Antonio  Montani,  of  Indianapolis,  was 
appointed  chief  musician  (band  master)  and  Mr.  H.  M. 
Lord,  of  Mt.  Vernon,  Indiana,  as  one  of  the  principal 
musicians. 

Arriving  at  Jacksonville  it  was  several  days  before  a 
new  set  of  band  instruments  was  received,  and  when  they 
did  arrive  they  were  of  a  very  inferior  grade;  however  some 
progress  was  made  under  Mr.  Montani's  direction. 

The  Second  Mississippi  Regiment  had  been  furnished 
by  their  state  with  a  fine  set  of  Boston  musical  instruments, 
valued  at  three  thousand  five  hundred  dollars,  and  prior 
to  leaving  for  home  on  September  12,  the  instruments  had 
been  turned  to  account  with  the  government,  and  late  in 
the  night  of  September  n,  Major  Megrevv  returned  from 
a  conference  with  Chief  Quartermaster  Pond  bearing  an 
order  for  the  Second  Mississippi  instruments  to  be  turned 
over  to  the  quartermaster  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty- 
first  Indiana,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  I2th  they  were  in 


43O  HISTORY    OF    THE 

the  possession  of  the  One  Hundred  and   Sixty-first  Regi- 
mental Band. 

About  this  time  Mr.  Montani's  health  began  to  fail, 
and  on  this  account,  and  also  on  account  of  sickness  in  the 
band,  no  progress  was  made,  although  the  organization 
was  sufficient  for  the  needs  at  this  time. 

On  October  2ist,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Savan- 
nah, and  after  arrival  there   Mr.  Montani   secured  his  dis- 
charge.     The  position  of  director  fell  to  Principal  Musician 
Harry  M.  Lord,  and  under  him  the  band  took  a  fresh  start 
and  accomplished  much.       Mr.  Lord   was  taken  sick  two 
weeks  later,  however,    and  was   sent   to  the   division    hos- 
pital.     At  this  juncture  it  was   evident  the  One  Hundred 
and    Sixty-first   Indiana  would   go  to   Cuba,   and  Captain 
Stott  started  for  Indiana,  the  result  being  that  several  good 
musicians    were    secured.      Mr.    E.    S.  Williams,    of  Win- 
chester, solo  cornetist,  being  appointed  chief  musician,  and 
Frederick  Walker,  from  Shelby ville,  as  principal  musician; 
much  needed  music  was  secured  and  the  band   made  great 
strides.     Arriving  in  Cuba,  Mr.  G.  A.  Ha)^,  cornetist,  was 
appointed  principal   musician    to  succeed    Mr.    Lord,  who 
had    been    furloughed  and   discharged.       Although  handi- 
capped  by    some    sickness    the  band  never    lost    a    mem- 
ber.     They  withstood  the  climate  of  Cuba  admirably,  and 
returned  to  Savannah  March  29.   1899,  with   the  regiment. 
The  band  was  scheduled   for   one  concert   each    week  at 
division   headquarters,   the   majority  of  which  were  given. 
Several  concerts  were  played  at  St.  James  Park  in  Jackson- 
ville, and  one  at  the  Windsor  hotel;  two  were  given  at  the 
De  Sota  in  Savannah,   and  one  at  General  Lee's  residence 
in  Marianao,  Cuba.      Music  was  also  furnished  for  the  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-first  reception  at  Marianao  on  the  even- 
ing of  March  the  2Oth,  besides  several  concerts  furnished 
after  the  return  of  the  regiment   to   America.      As  a  band 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  431 

this  ranked  second  to  none  in  the  Seventh  Army  Corps. 
All  are  as  proud  of  their  record  as  the  men  are  of  the  rec- 
ord of  the  regiment  during  the  Spanish-American  war. 


BUGLE  AND  DRUM  CORPS. 

The  organization  of  the  Bugle  Corps  was  effected  early 
in  the  history  of  the  regiment  and  was  made  by  the  selec- 
tion of  two  men  from  each  company,  but  until  sufficient 
practice  enabled  them  to  sound  a  call  that  could  be  recog- 
nized for  what  it  was  meant,  John  Strauss,  of  Company 
M,  did  the  bugle  work  for  the  regiment,  and  was  there- 
after chief  bugler,  under  whose  directions  the  men  became 
quite  proficient  in  their  art,  and  many  a  time  when 
"Dutch,"  of  Torrey's  calvary,  would  startle  the  stillness 
of  the  night  with  his  fine  expression  of  Retreat,  the 
response  that  went  back  from  camp  the  One  Hundred  and 
Sixty-first  was  like  it. 

The  drum  corps  came  into  existence  just  before  going 
to  Cuba,  and  have  aided  materially  in  the  department  of 
music  to  which  they  belong,  especially  in  the  morning, 
"  Can't  get  'em  up.  " 

There  have  been  changes  in  both  these  bodies,  but  at 
mustering-out  time  they  were  composed  as  follows: 

BUGLE    CORPS. 

Company  A,  Parley  Miller. 
Company  B,  Otto  Ware. 

Company  C,  Will  Mickelson  and  Wiley  Moore. 
Company  D,  Charles  W.  Brownscome   and  John  E. 
Harper. 

Company  E,  Percy  Jones. 

Company  F,  Will  G.  Ford  and  George  Muye. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  433 

Company  G,  Henry  Vandyke  and  Edward  Beeson. 
Company  H,  John  Fedder  and  B.  Middleton. 
Company  I,  Charles  E.  Conner  and  William  E.  Comer. 
Company  K,  Horace  Israel  and  Alexander  Clarke. 
Company  L,  A.  E.  Gordon  and  A.  E.  Thomas. 
Company  M,  Charles  L.  Kelsey. 

DRUMMERS. 

Company  A,  William  Fortune. 
Company  B,  George  W.  Cravens. 
Company  D,  John  K.  Prather. 
Company  E,  Edward  White. 
Company  F,  Fred.  B.  Stanley. 
Company  G,  Eugene  Taylor. 
Company  I,  Walter  Simons. 
Company  K,  \Villiam  Fuller. 


28 


ROLL  OF  HONOR 


436  HISTORY    OF    THE 

ROLL  OF  HONOR. 


This  is  the  saddest  part  of  the  writer's  task,  to  chron- 
icle the  death  of  his  comrades,  who  came  out  with  glad 
enthusiasm  for  the  cause  they  espoused  and  with  patriotic 
devotion  to  the  flag  they  loved.  With  a  heart  for  any  fate 
they  made  the  great  sacrifice  and  laid  down  their  lives  for 
the  flag  they  had  sworn  to  defend;  not  on  the  battle  field, 
in  the  midst  of  the  smoke  and  flame  and  leaden  hail,  falling 
by  some  comrade's  side — that  had  been  better;  but  in  the 
miasmic  atmosphere  of  the  army  hospital,  with  fevered 
cheek  and  glistening  eye  they  tossed  upon  their  cot,  drag- 
ging the  long  days  and  weary  hours  through,  hoping  still, 
till  touched  by  the  silence  of  death.  They  all  died  bravely, 
uncomplaining,  as  soldiers  ought  to  die.  Those  who  paid 
the  great  price  on  native  soil  were  sent  home  for  burial. 
In  many  cases  escorts  from  their  companies  went  to  the 
city  and  gathered  round  the  flag-draped  coffin  in  which 
their  comrade  lay  and  after  a  brief  service  by  the  chaplain 
the  remains  were  escorted  to  the  depot  for  shipment.  Those 
who  died  on  foreign  soil  are  resting  to-day  beneath  the 
palms  of  Cuba.  There  are  four  of  them  whose  graves  are 
No.'s  1 6,  17,  19,  and  26  in  that  soldier  row  that  lies  just 
up  from  Playa's  coast. 

On  Friday,  March  12,1899,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Backus 
and  the  chaplain  with  a  detail  of  men  from  the  companies 
to  which  these  dead  comrades  belonged  sodded  the  graves 
and  placed  at  their  heads  1  rge  blocks  of  limestone,  each 
containing  a  marble  slab  upon  which  is  chiseled  the  name 
and  other  appropriate  facts  concerning  the  departed  soldier. 
These  stones  were  prepared  at  the  instance  of  Colonel  Dur- 
bin  by  Antonio  Bello,  of  Company  L,  a  practical  worker  in 
marble,  and  are  of  such  a  substantial  character  as  to  last  as 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


long  as  time,  if  not  disturbed,  and  thus  our  comrades  are 
sleeping  in  their  silent  graves  of  glory  where  their  devotion 
to  the  stars  and  stripes  has  laid  them  to  rest.  No.  16  is 
Jacob  W.  Dexter's  grave,  the  first  of  the  three  low  stones 
on  your  lett  if  you  look  at  them  from  the  foot  of  the 
graves;  the  next  No.  17,  is  Charles  Trimble's,  and  No.  19, 
nearest  to  the  high  stone  is  Alonzo  M.  Graham's,  while 
No.  26  is  seen  to  the  extreme  right  being  the  grave  of 
Andrew  Gould.  We  knew  when  we  left  that  destiny  with 
its  silent  tread  would  touch  perhaps  the  threshold  of  many 
a  heart  to  bid  it  prepare  for  the  unseen  world.  These 
comrades  of  ours,  brave  and  strong  on  that  day,  were  the 
ones  to  hear  the  call  and  when  the  hour  was  ready  they 
made  the  sacrifice  that  placed  their  names  on  the  Honor 
Roll  and  made  for  themselves  a  glory  as  undying  as  the 
memory  of  a  grateful  people.  Whether  they  are  resting 
to-day  side  by  side  with  dear  ones  in  the  Holy  fields  at 
home  where  loving  hands  have  laid  them  away  or  whether 
their  sleeping  forms  sanctify  the  red  soil  of  that  land  they 
went  to  save,  their  companionship  and  their  sacrifice  will 
be  an  evergreen  spot  in  the  memory  of  us  all.  "  Under 
the  sod  and  the  dew  waiting  the  judgment  day;"  they  did 
their  duty;  we  honor  them  for  it  and  leave  the  rest  with  God. 


ERNEST    R.     PUHLMAN. 

Private  Ernest  R.  Puhlman,  Company  A,  was  born  in 
Berlin,  Germany,  in  1877.  The  first  death  in  the  regiment 
occurred  by  accident;  Ernest  R.  Puhlman  with  some  of  his 
comrades  were  bathing  in  Trout  creek  September  3;  Puhl- 
man, misjudging  the  water's  depth,  dove  from  a  railroad 
trestle  and  striking  bottom  dislocated  his  third  spinal  verte- 
bra; he  was  unconscious  up  to  the  moment  of  his  death, 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  439 


ERNEST  R.    PUHLMAN. 

and  died  at  6:30  p.  M.,  September  4,  1898,   in  the  Third 
Division  hospital,  Camp  Cuba  Libre. 


JOHN  j.   LEWIS. 

Hospital  Steward  John  J.  Lewis  was  born  near 
Mitchell,  Lawrence  county,  Indiana,  May  2,  1878.  He 
received  his  early  education  in  Germany,  and  his  medical 
training  in  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of 
Indianapolis,  graduating  with  honor  March  27,  1898.  He 
was  appointed  chief  hospital  steward  of  the  One  Hundred 
and  Sixty-first  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  upon  the  unani- 
mous recommendation  of  his  college  faculty.  He  discharged 
all  his  duties  faithfully  and  acceptably;  he  was  courteous 


44°  HISTORY    OF    THE 

and  reserved,  and  especially  kind  to  his  associates.  His 
illness  began  about  September  I,  and  was  not  thought  to 
be  serious;  patient  in  suffering,  he  always  replied,  "  I'm  all 


JOHN  J.   LEWIS. 

right,"  but  his  illness  suddenly  became  serious,  and  heart 
failure  ensued,  from  which  he  died  at  9:40  p.  M.  on  Thurs- 
day, September  8,  1898,  in  the  Third  Division  hospital  at 
Camp  Cuba  Libre. 

CLARENCE    D.     RUNS,     COMPANY    I. 

Private  Clarence   D.  Runs,  Company  I,  was  born  at 
Dayton,    Ohio,  in   1874;   died  of  typhoid  at    12:30  A.  M., 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  44! 


CLARENCE  D.   RUNS,   COMPANY  I. 

September    24,     1898,    at    Camp    Cuba   Libre;    buried    at 
Brookston,  Indiana. 

'"  ROBERT  ANGLETON,  COMPANY  E. 

Private  Robert  Angleton  was  born  at  Jeffersonville, 
Indiana,  in  1878,  and  died  October  11,  1898,  of  typhoid 
fever  at  the  same  place  while  on  a  sick  furlough. 


:f    JOHN    A.    SEBREE,    COMPANY    D. 

Private  John  A.  Sebree,  age  22,  died  of  typhoid  fever 
October  14,  1898,  at  Camp  Cuba  Libre;  he  was  born  in 
Ghent,  New  York,  to  which  place  his  remains  were  shipped 
for  burial. 


WALLACE    D.     STIVERS,    COMPANY    I. 

Corporal  Wallace  D.  Stivers,  age  21,  died  of  typhoid 
fever  October  14,  1898,  at  Camp  Cuba  Libre;  his  remains 
were  sent  to  Rensselaer  for  burial. 


442 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


WALLACE  D.   STIVERS,   COMPANY  I. 


r    FRED    SHROEDER. 


Private  Fred  Schroeder,  age  22,  died  in  the  regimental 
hospital,  at  Camp  Cuba  Libre,  of  typhoid  fever,  October 
14,  1898;  buried  at  Hammond,  Indiana. 


*    CHARLES    E.     LEITER,    COMPANY    L. 

Private  Charles  E.  Leiter,  age  28,  died  of  typhoid 
fever  October  17,  1898,  at  Camp  Cuba  Libre.  He  was 
born  atGilboa,  Ohio,  to  which  place  the  remains  were  sent. 


HENRY    STILLE,     COMPANY  M. 

Private  Henry  Stille,  born  in  July,  1878,  at  New  Point, 
Indiana,  died  of  typhoid  fever  October  17,  1898,  at  Camp 
Cuba  Libre. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA.  443 


HENRY  STILLE,   COMPANY  M. 


GEORGE  KEPPERLING,   COMPANY  I. 


444 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


GEORGE    KEPPERLING,     COMPANY    I. 

Private  George  Kepperling,  age  21,  died  of  typhoid 
fever  October  23,  1898,  at  Chalmers,  Indiana,  where  he 
was  at  that  time  on  sick  furlough. 


DENVER  BROWN,  COMPANY  F. 

Private  Denver  Brown,  age  30.  the  color  bearer,  died 
of  typhoid  fever  October  23,   1898,   at  Camp  Cuba  Libre. 


DENVER  BROWN,    COMPANY  F. 

He  was  born  in  West  Manchester,    Ohio,    at  which  place 
the  remains  were  buried. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


44> 


*    CLYDE     C.    GABLE,     COMPANY    H. 

Private  Clyde  C.    Gable,  age  21,  died  of  typhoid  fever 
at  Fort  McPherson,  November  3,  1898. 


f    FRANK    M.     GREEN,     COMPANY    D. 

Private  Frank  M.  Green,  age  24,  died  of  typhoid  fever 
November  3,  1898,  in  the  Third  Division  hospital  at  Camp 
Cuba  Libre,  after  the  regiment  had  left  for  Savannah.  His 
remains  were  sent  to  North  Vernon,  Indiana. 


WILLIAM    G.     WEAVER,    COMPANY    I. 

Private  William  G.  Weaver,  age   31,  died   of  typhoid 
fever  at  Camp  Onward,  Savannah,  November  7,  1898.     He 


WILLIAM  G.   WEAVER,   COMPANY  I. 

was  born  near  Monticello,  Indiana,  and  was  buried  in  the 
cemetery  near  his  home,  Chaplain  Biedenvolf,  who  was  at 
that  time  home,  having  charge  of  the  funeral  services. 


446 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


JOSEPH    F.     TURNER,    COMPANY    I. 

Private  Joseph  F.  Turner,  age  25,  died  of  pneumonia 
November  30,  1898,  at  Camp  Onward.  His  remains  were 
interred  at  Wheatfield,  Indiana. 


JOSEPH  F.   TURNER,   COMPANY  I. 

(TAKEN  THREE  DAYS  BEFORE  DEATH. 


JACOB   \V.    DEXTER,    COMPANY   I. 

Private  Jacob  W.  Dexter,  age  twenty-two,  enlisted  at 
Monticello,  June  28,  1898.  He  was  transferred  to  the  hos- 
pital corps  August  20,  1898,  and  by  testimony  of  the  chief 
surgeon  was  one  of  the  most  obedient  and  best  nurses  in 
the  corps.  Exposed  to  the  smallpox  while  on  duty,  he 
stood  at  his  post  and  cared  for  his  comrades  until  the  dread 
disease  fastened  upon  him,  and  he  died  on  January  17. 
He  was  buried  in  the  United  States  military  cemetery,  side 
by  side  with  his  dead  comrades.  His  grave  is  No.  16. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


447 


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448 


HISTORY    OF    THE 


CHARLES  EVERSON,    COMPANY   K. 

Private  Charles  Everson,  age  twenty-nine,  died  of 
typhoid  fever  December  2,  1898,  at  Camp  Onward,  and 
his  remains  were  sent  to  his  home  at  Columbus,  Indiana. 


CHARLES  TRIMBLE,    COMPANY  F. 

Private  Charles  Trimble,  age  nineteen,  died  of  typhoid 
fever  at  Camp  Columbia,  Cuba,  January  18,  1899,  and  was 


CHARLES  TRIMBLE,   COMPANY  F. 

buried  in  the  United  States  military  cemetery,  near  Playa 
de  Marianao,  Cuba.      His  grave  is  No.  17. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-FIRST    INDIANA. 


449 


•ALONZO  M.    GRAHAM,    COMPANY  D. 

Private  Alonzo   M.    Graham,  age  twenty-six,  born  at 
Lancaster,  Indiana,  and  died  of  smallpox  January  24,  1899, 


ALONZO  M.   GRAHAM,   COMPANY  D. 

at  Camp  Columbia.      His  grave  is  No.  19  in  the   United 
States  military  cemetery,  near  Playa  de  Marianao. 


ANDREW  GOULD,  COMPANY  M. 

Private  Andrew  Gould,  born  at  Lawrenceburg,  Indiana, 
and  died  of  smallpox  February  17,  1899,  at  Camp  Colum- 
bia, Cuba.  His  grave  is  No.  26  in  the  United  States  mili- 
tary cemetery,  near  Playa  de  Marianao. 

29 


450        HISTORY  OF  THE  ONE  HUNDRED  AND  SIXTY-FIRST  IND. 


ANDREW  GOULD,  COMPANY  M. 


*  Photographs  not  obtainable. 


